§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of opencast coalmining planning applications that have been made, approved and refused in 1987–88 and the four previous years for each region of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Ridley[holding answer 25 November 1988]: This information is not held centrally. Statistics compiled by the County Planning Officers' Society, which are available from 1984–85 only, show the following:
138W
1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 Scotland Number of applications 13 33 25 25 approved 8 25 17 21 refused 5 8 8 4 North East Number of applications 13 31 25 25 approved 8 14 15 13 refused 5 17 10 12 North West Number of applications 1 9 5 2 approved 1 6 2 1 refused — 3 3 1 Central West Number of applications 5 11 8 9 approved 4 5 5 8 refused 1 6 3 1 Central East Number of applications 4 16 22 13 approved 2 12 11 9 refused 2 4 11 5 South West Number of applications 12 11 16 16 approved 6 6 12 8 refused 6 5 4 8 Total
1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 Number of applications 48 111 101 90 approved 29 68 62 60 refused 19 43 39 30