§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what steps he takes to ensure compliance with the law dealing with the scale of private opencast coal operations laid down in section 36 of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 as amended by section 46 of the Opencast Coal Act 1958;
(2) if he has any plans to seek to amend the current legal limit on the scale of private opencast coal operation in the light of evidence given by Sir Robert Haslam to the Select Committee on Energy on British Coal's practice as regards interpretation of the current rules.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerAs I explained during the debate on the coalfields communities on 20 November 1987, at column 1362, the Government are committed to the development of a prosperous private sector for coal and are considering whether to raise the statutory limits applied to the licensed sector. In the meantime, I have asked Sir Robert Haslam to consider what scope exists for greater flexibility within the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act as it stands. Under existing legislation the British Coal Corporation is responsible for the granting of licences for private opencast mining operations.
§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the locations and dates of licences granted since 1981 by British Coal to private operators of opencast coal workings to excavate single sites believed to contain 35,000 tonnes of coal or more and contiguous sites believed to contain a combined total of 50,000 tonnes of coal or more.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerThis is a matter for the British Coal Corporation and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.