Mr. Andy StewartTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the suspension of payments to redundant mineworkers under the redundant mineworkers' payments scheme arising from the tighter enforcement of the criterion of availability for work.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer of 14 February,Official Report, column 161, whether he will now make a statement on restart and the redundant mineworkers payments scheme.
§ Mr. ParkinsonI recognise that restart procedures in respect of availability-for-work have resulted in suspension of payments to former mineworkers who are beneficiaries under the redundant mineworkers' payments scheme. Following discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment, work has been put in hand on the options for modifying the link between benefits under the RMPS and unemployment benefit availability procedures, having regard to cost and consequential effects. It is very possible that as a result of this work I will need to introduce an amending order to modify the RMPS. In the meantime, I understand that the employment service is taking into account this development in its application of its procedures.