§ Mr. HoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on assurances given by British Coal about the safety of houses which are near opencast mining works(a) in the village of Coalburn and (b) in other places affected by similar activities.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonI am not aware of the assurances to which the hon. Member refers. I understand that conditions attached to the planning permission granted to British Coal in respect of its opencast operations at Dalquhandy, Coalburn, include a requirement, prior to the commencement of work on the site, to provide an independent report into the potential effect of the proposed opencast coal development on all properties in the Coalburn area, particularly with regard to the potential loss of hydraulic pressure in former coal workings under the area and blasting.