§ Mr. Bellasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the environmental impact of opencast lignite mining on the Tyrone shores of Lough Neagh.
§ Dr. BoysonThere are at present no proposals to mine lignite in County Tyrone. Whilst it is believed that a substantial deposit exits in the area, the drilling programme already undertaken is too limited to establish the economics of mining or to permit the development of a mine plan which would reveal the extent of any environmental impact on the area. to enable these issues 543W to be addressed the Department of Economic Development has given notice of its intention to award a prospecting licence which would allow the deposit to be fully investigated.