§ Ms WalleyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will ensure that coal production is resumed in the 10 pits currently subject to the court judgment detailing that the modified colliery review procedure should be followed.
§ Mr. Eggar[holding answer 1 February 1993]: The resumption of coaling at the 10 pits is a matter for British Coal. However, I do not understand there to be anything in the judgment which either makes the cessation of coaling in these pits unlawful or requires this to re-commence while consultation takes place.
The judgment does not require the modified colliery review procedure to be followed. It requires that British Coal shall not reach a final decision on the closure of any of the 10 pits until a procedure substantially to the same effect as the modified colliery review procedure, including some form of independent scrutiny, has been followed.
I have placed a copy of the approved transcript of the Lord Justice Glidewell and Mr. Justice Hidden's judgment of 21 December 1992 in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. CashTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will bring forward proposals for a statutory extension of the redundancy payment scheme for the miners in the 10 pits scheduled for closure until the consultation and review procedure has been completed.
§ Mr. Eggar[holding answer 1 February 1993]: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade assured the House on 21 October that no miner at these pits will be disadvantaged as regards redundancy terms. That holds good both during and at the end of the current consultation process, and both before and after the end of March.