§ 34. Mr. Willie W. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Energy how many pits have been closed in Scotland since the end of the miners' strike; how many closures are contemplated in the next two years; how many jobs have been lost in the relevant period; and how many jobs have been created specifically in mining areas.
§ Mr. David HuntIndividual pit closures are a matter for the National Coal Board. I understand that no pits have been closed in Scotland since March 1985 and only one proposal for closure, Polkemmet, has been made. The number of men on colliery books in Scotland has fallen from 11,263 at the end of March 1985 to 7,793 in the week ending 25 January 1986. NCB (Enterprise) Ltd has so far created 738 job opportunities in Scotland.