§ Mr. SternTo ask the President of the Board of Trade when the subsidy outlined in the White Paper "Prospects for Coal", Cm 2235, will end; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PageSince the coal subsidy was announced in March 1993, 10 offers have been made. To date, £9,053,711 has been paid in respect of almost 800,000 tonnes of coal delivered since April 1993. The majority of offers have been to the private sector, most helping to sustain new production from pits where British Coal had ceased operations.
It was envisaged at the time of the White Paper that the subsidy would only be temporary. The Government indicated then that the scheme would finish at about the time of privatisation. The "Guidelines for Applicants" explain that the subsidy is available only for the period up to the end of March 1995. Only deliveries made before then could be eligible for subsidy. Any applications which remain outstanding should be submitted to my Department no later than 31 March 1995.