§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has about the miners dismissed by the Coal Board in (a) Scotland and (b)the rest of Britain; what is the alleged misconduct for which they have been dismissed, listing in each case the criminal offence of which the miner has been found guilty and the fine imposed by the courts; whether it is a first offence; how many years of service each employee dismissed has given to the coal industry; and what redundancy payment he might have expected if he had applied for redundancy and not been dismissed.
§ Mr. David HuntThe dismissal and re-employment of their employees are matters for the National Coal Board. The Board have made it clear that all cases will be considered on their merits. If any person considers that he has been unfairly dismissed he has the right to take his case to an industrial tribunal.