§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who made the decision to restrict the distribution of the stockpile of coal donated by British Coal for flood relief in Northern Ireland to Omagh urban and Strabane district council areas; and by what criteria these areas and individual beneficiaries were chosen and other areas and individuals excluded.
§ Mr. Needham[holding answer 7 December 1987]: British Coal's generous donation of coal was made on the understanding that it would be used to help those people who suffered flood damage in Strabane and Omagh, the areas most severely affected. The criterion adopted by the voluntary organisations responsible for the local distribution of coal was that supplies should be made available to every household directly affected by the flooding within the urban area of Omagh and the district council area of Strabane.