§ Lord Mason of Barnsleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will guarantee that British Coal Enterprise's Business Funding and Workspace activities will continue after it has been privatised.
§ Lord Fraser of CarmyllieThe sale of British Coal Enterprise (BCE) is a matter for British Coal. When launching the sales process for BCE, British Coal indicated that, in considering proposals for the company, it was recognised that the continuation of effective assistance to coalfield communities by purchasers would be a priority.
§ Lord Mason of Barnsleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will undertake to retain the proceeds from the sale of British Coal Enterprise within the coalfields areas to provide support for economic regeneration activities.
§ Lord Fraser of CarmyllieThe sale of British Coal Enterprise is a matter for British Coal. The Government continue to provide support for economic regeneration activities through Regional Selective Assistance and the Single Regeneration Budget, in addition to the support available from European Structural Funds.
§ Lord Mason of Barnsleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What assurances can be given that the present scale of European funding received by British Coal Enterprise for the regeneration of the coalfield areas will be available to the new privatised organisation.
§ Lord Fraser of CarmyllieBritish Coal is seeking offers for British Coal Enterprise (BCE), either as a single business or for its three separate principal activities. Thereafter, the scale of European funding to those entities will continue to depend on applications meeting the strict quality and value for money criteria which the Government apply to the selection of projects for such funding. Should the body concerned not be in the public sector, the treatment of applications will be in accordance with standard UK policy on European Regional Development Fund grants to the private sector.