Alan Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2015-09-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what (a) representations and (b) advice she has received on health and safety at unrestored open-cast coal mines in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom

With regard to the general issue of the restoration of former opencast coal mining sites in Wales and Scotland in addition to meeting the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Natural Resources on 16 July 2015 and a meeting with the hon. Members for Bridgend; Ogmore; Aberavon; and Kilmarnock and Loudoun on 9 September 2015 I have received written communications from other hon. Members and representations of the Welsh Assembly Government and Scottish Government. Officials from the Department’s Coal Liabilities Unit will be travelling to Wales next month to meet with Welsh Government and Local Authority officials, along with those directly affected, to discuss the matter. In the meantime my Department’s Non-Departmental Public Body, the Coal Authority, has provided expert advice to Local Authorities on calculating the level of security required for future surface mine operations to ensure the restoration costs are covered should the mining company no longer be in a position to carry out the work.

In relation to the health and safety of these sites, this is a matter for the individual Local Authorities.