§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has for making compensation available to home-owners affected by subsidence caused by limestone quarrying. [38874]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThere are no proposals to compensate home-owners for subsidence caused by limestone quarrying.
Subsidence damage to houses is generally covered under normal household insurance whatever the cause. The only statutory compensation scheme is for subsidence due to coal mining under the Coal Mining Subsidence Act 1991, as amended by the Coal Industry Act 1994. In other cases of subsidence damage, it is open to home-owners and/or their insurers to take action in Common Law against the person who caused the damage. It would not be appropriate for the Government to act as insurer of last resort in such cases.