§ Mr. WoodcockTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) following his understanding that British Coal has now taken steps to introduce the option that claimants may have subsidence damage repair work undertaken by a contractor of their choice, what steps have been taken to publicise this option in the last year; how many claimants have requested this option within the last year; and in how many cases British Coal has agreed to this option within the last year;
855W(2) within what period of time of the British Coal Corporation receiving a claim are claimants against the corporation for subsidence damage in active mining areas now being visited; and what percentage of claimants have not been visited within four weeks (a) in the last 12 months for which figures are available and (b) in the last three months for which figures are available;
(3) since the Government's response to the Waddilove report on subsidence damage, what percentage of claimants have chosen to have repairs carried out by a contractor of their choice; how many requests to have repairs carried out by independent contractors have been refused by the board; and how many references there have been to independent adjudication.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerThese are management matters for British Coal, and I have asked the chairman to write to my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. WoodcockTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy since publication of the Government's response to the Waddilove report on subsidence damage, how many requests have been received by the board for reference to independent adjudication; how many requests have not been referred because of lack of agreement by the board; and where references have been made to independent adjudication, in what proportion of cases British Coal has agreed to meet the costs of the adjudicator.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerThis is a management matter for British Coal, and I understand that the deputy chairman has already written to my hon. Friend on this subject.