HC Deb 28 April 1988 vol 132 cc228-9W
Mr. Lofthouse

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any request from British Coal's Opencast Executive for the relaxation of planning regulations for opencast coal mining.

Mr. Waldegrave

No. British Coal did comment on my Department's draft planning guidance on opencast coal mining. A copy of its letter of 17 June has been placed in the House of Commons Library.