HC Deb 27 March 1986 vol 94 cc592-3W
Mr. Eadie

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money was spent by the Government, local authorities and the National Coal Board on land reclamation in Scotland in 1975 and every year until 1985; and what acreage of land was reclaimed by each body.

Mr. Allan Stewart

[pursuant to his reply, 27 January 1986, c. 370–371]: Overall responsibility for the rehabilitation of land in Scotland rests with the Scottish Development Agency. Figures for the agency are as follows:

Year Amount £ Acreage
1975–76 8,000 0
1976–77 993,000 4.5
1977–78 13,005,000 189
1978–79 19,136,000 981
1979–80 24,611,000 1,144
1980–81 27,582,000 3,386
1981–82 19,876,000 1,621

Year Amount £ Acreage
1982–83 24,793,000 6,063
1983–84 22,926,000 1,448
1984–85 25,016,000 793
1985–86 (to date) 21,789,000 355

No grant-aided reclamation has been undertaken by the NCB in Scotland during the period 1975–85; the NCB normally release redundant colliery sites to local authorities for reclamation. However, I understand from the board that during the past 10 years, some 267 hectares of derelict land has been reclaimed following opencast operations.