§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list by year for the last 10 years to date the number of opencast coal sites that received his Department's approval;
(2) if he will list by location the opencast coal sites currently being worked;
(3) if he will list by year for the last 10 years to date the number of opencast coal site applications that have been refused by his Department.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonUnder current legislation my right hon. and learned Friend would deal only with applications for opencast coal operations which came before him on appeal. Up to 29 February 1984 opencast coal site applications were the concern of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy. Thereafter, under transitional arrangements, they transferred to my right hon. and learned Friend until the local planning authorities assumed responsibility on 11 December 1987. Since 1984, eight cases have been the subject of appeal, four of which were sustained and four dismissed. I understand from British Coal (Scotland), which holds central records, that the full detail of sites approved, applications refused and current workings is as follows:
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Year Number of sites approved Number of applications refused British Coal Private British Coal Private 1981 2 11 — — 1982 — 10 — — 1983 4 8 — — 1984 2 8 — — 1985 2 6 — 1 1986 2 20 — 1 1987 3 20 — — 1988 3 19 — 1 1989 1 17 — 1 1990 1 15 — —
Opencast coal sites currently being worked Site Location British Coal Darnconner Cumnock and Doon Valley Roughhill Cumnock and Doon Valley Chalmerston Cumnock and Doon Valley Horsecleugh Cumnock and Doon Valley Airdsgreen Cumnock and Doon Valley Libry Moor Nithsdale District Dalquhandy Clydesdale District Damside Motherwell District Blindwells East Lothian District Keirsbeath Dunfermline District Lambhill Perth and Kinross Private Auchengean Falkirk Chesters Wood Gorebridge, Midlothian Colinshiel Armadale, West Lothian Craigmad California, Falkirk Crawick Crawick, Cumnock and Doon Valley Croftangreen East Kilbride Drum of Kinnaird Stenhousemuir, Falkirk Easter Baton Harthill, Motherwell Kitleyknowe Carlops, Borders Legbrannock Farm Newhouse, Motherwell Middlerig Slamannan, Falkirk Nether Longford Stoneyburn, West Lothian North Calder Water Chapelhall, Monklands North Rhodens Armadale, West Lothian Sherriff Faulds Hamilton South Landridge Salsburgh, Monklands South Roughcastle Falkirk Tippetcraig North Slamannan, Falkirk Venture Newmains, Motherwell Waterloo Wishaw, Motherwell