§ Mr. Pikeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report the 30 English non-metropolitan districts which have shown the greatest percentage reduction in electorate since 1981, giving the percentage and actual figure in each case.
§ Mrs. CurrieI have been asked to reply.
There are not 30 but 17 English non-metropolitan districts which showed a reduction in electorate between 1981 and 1986. They are as follows:
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsAuthorisation under the Opencast Coal Act 1958 is required only in respect of British Coal sites. One such application for such authorisation in respect of a site for which planning permission has been granted is before my right hon. Friend for decision. This relates to 321.07 acres of land at Gilfach Iago, Ammanford, Dyfed.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the sites for which planning 757W permission has been sought, but not yet decided upon, for opencast coal mining in Wales by (a) British Coal and (b) private companies and the acreage of each site;
(2) if he will list the sites for which planning permission has been granted for the development of opencast coal mining in Wales in each year since 1979 to (a) British Coal and (b) private companies and the acreage of each site.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsThis information is not available centrally.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the sites in Wales where opencast coal mines are being worked by (a) British Coal and (b) private companies and the acreage of each site.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsBritish Coal has provided the following information for its sites where coaling operations are in progress:
Acres Ashfield House Farm, Ewloe, Clwyd 41 East Pit, Gwauncaegurwen, West Glamorgan 713 Ffos Las, Trimsaran, Dyfed 1,045 Ffyndaff, Rhigos, Mid Glamorgan 750 Garnant, Garnant, Dyfed 284 Ley Farm, Chirk, Clwyd 85 Maesgwyn Further Extension, Banwen, West Glamorgan 11,235 Nant Helen, Ystradgynlais, Powys and West Glamorgan 762 Park Slip Extension, Aberkenfig, Mid Glamorgan 1443 British Coal has also provided the following information for private sites for which licences under the Opencast Coal Act 1958 are still extant and where coaling operations are in progress:
Acres Pencoedcae, Rhymney, Gwent 4½ Pen Bryn Oer, Rhymney, Gwent (Consent originally given for a total area of 60 acres) 16 Cefn Uchaf, Glynneath, West Glamorgan 60 Cefn Rhigos, Rhigos, Mid Glamorgan 44 Gelliwarog, Ystradgynlais, Powys 7½ Caeharris, Dowlais, Mid Glamorgan (of a 35 acre land reclamation scheme) 25 Varteg Uchaf, Ystradgynlais, Powys 12 Blaenpergwm Colliery, Glynneath, West Glamorgan 23 Ginny Cottages, Llanhilleth, Gwent 3 Bryn Serth, Tredegar, Gwent (of an 88 acre land reclamation scheme) 13 Gilfach Goch, Ystradgynlais, Powys 5 1Includes partially restored areas.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the sites which have been licensed to be prospected for opencast coal in Wales by (a) British Coal and (b) private companies; and what is the acreage of each site.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsNo licence is required by British Coal or private companies to carry out prospecting for opencast coal. Such operations are permitted by the general development order but there are stringent conditions which have to be observed.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many planning appeals concerning opencast coalmining have been heard by his Department since 1979, and how many were (a) appeals against refusals to grant permission in which the original decisions were overturned, (b) appeals against refusals to grant 758W permission in which original decisions were upheld, (c) appeals against the granting of permission in which the original decisions were upheld, and (d) appeals against the granting of permission in which the original decisions were overturned.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsEleven such appeals have been determined since 1979. Six were allowed, overturning the original decision, and five were dismissed, upholding the original decision. There is no right of appeal to my right hon. Friend against the granting of permission by local planning authority.