§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much new money has been allocated to date and for the future to counter unemployment caused by compulsory redundancies at Trentham colliery; what percentage that is of the total money allocated to alleviate job losses in coal mining areas; and how that money is to be spent and by which department or agency acting on his behalf.
§ Miss WiddecombeAn additional £4.9 million has been made available to Staffordshire training and enterprise council (TEC) and the employment service to provide a range of further help for unemployed people in the Trentham colliery area. This is 6.5 per cent. of the extra £75 million available for additional assessment, jobsearch, training, retraining, assistance for new businesses and voluntary work. Staffordshire TEC plans to supplement this with a further £2 million of its own resources.
This provision forms part of the £200 million regeneration package for pit closure areas made available by the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of the Environment and English Estates. There is also help for redundant coalworkers provided by British Coal Enterprise.