§ Mr. AshbyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what tonnage rate was paid by operators in(a) Leicestershire and (b) Leicestershire, North-West, for each year since 1983 in respect of (i) mineral extraction, including clay, and (ii) coal extraction.
§ Mrs. Virginia BottomleyThe royalty per tonne of mineral extracted used in the calculation of the rateable value of mineral hereditaments varies according to the type of mineral and the conditions under which it is extracted. The average royalty in Leicestershire for all years since 1983 has been 25p per tonne for coal (excluding extraction by the British Coal Corporation) and 7.89p per tonne for other minerals, including clay. In all cases the royalty is reduced by 50 per cent. under the provisions of the Mines and Quarries (Valuation) Order 1983 to arrive at the rateable value of the hereditament.
The rateable value of British Coal Corporation hereditaments is assessed by a statutory formula which is not directly royalty based.