§ Mr. Skeetasked the Prime Minister whether it is still the intention of Her Majesty's Government, pursuant to paragraph 71 of Cmnd. 8877, to transfer responsibility for authorising opencast coal mining planning applications from the Secretary of State for Energy to local authorities; and when she anticipates amendments of the Opencast Coal Act 1958.
§ The Prime MinisterYes. The Government plan to announce shortly new administrative arrangements which would require the NCB to make planning applications for opencast sites to local authorities and would transfer responsibility for authorisation decisions from the Secretary of State for Energy to the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Scotland and Wales. Full transfer to the normal planning syetem will call for amendment of the Opencast Coal Act 1958. The necessary amending legislation will be introduced as soon as possible.