§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Prime Minister, whether the other measures of privatisation she referred to on 18 November, Official Report, column 432, include privatisation of the coal industry; and whether she will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government have privatised one-fifth of the state sector of industries which they inherited in 1979, and will have transferred a further one-fifth to the private sector by the end of this parliamentary session. We have also announced our intention to return most of the remainder to the private sector in the next Parliament.
However, there are no current plans for the privatisation of British Coal. The priority for the industry's management is to build on the enormous productivity gains that are now being achieved and to restore the industry to financial viability.