§ Mr. GroganTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what commitments regarding working facilities were given by the National Union of Mineworkers to(a) Ministers and (b) the Coal Authority before the announcement of investment aid on 3 March 2003.[160108]
§ Mr. Timms[holding answer 9 March 2004]Dr. Ian Roxburgh, the Chief Executive of the Coal Authority, met representatives of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in January 2003 during work which he undertook at the request of the then Minister for Energy, my hon. Friend, the Member for Cunningham North (Mr. Wilson), to develop proposals to secure greater certainty for the future of the industry. That discussion permitted Dr. Roxburgh to advise ministers that the NUM was fully committed to proposals which would enable the introduction of a coal investment aid package, accepted that they would entail changes to working practices, and had agreed that they would examine flexible working on a pit by pit basis.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry met NUM representatives on 12 February 2003. The discussion included these proposals and the likelihood of coal investment aid that would support particular projects to maintain access to reserves and hence production at specified mines. The need for changed working practices, including flexible working, to maximise the value of aided projects was also discussed and the NUM representatives did not repudiate the position that Dr. Roxburgh had reported.