HC Deb 30 November 1998 vol 321 cc54-5W
Ms Walley

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on recent flooding at Brindley Ford arising from the Coal Authority's maintenance of the nearby opencast coal site. [61191]

Mr. Battle

Following heavy rain in late October, flooding occurred at Brindley Ford to the south of the former Brownlees opencast site, part of which is owned by the Coal Authority.

The authority is currently investigating, in association with the Environment Agency, Staffordshire county council, and Stoke-on-Trent city council, the water management at the locality to identify the cause of the flooding and ways of dealing with it.