Coal Pit Closures And Energy Investment

EDM number 613 in 1992-93, proposed by Llew Smith on 20/10/1992.

That this House condemns, without reservation or qualification, the Government announcement of its pit closure programme which throws tens of thousands out of work; deplores the long-term mismanagement of the fuel supply industries, in particular the coal industry, by this Government; notes that in a parliamentary reply on 4th December last year the Government admitted that in the period 1979 to 1991-92, it spent only ú37.8 million on development of coal technology, compared to a vast ú2,160.3 million on nuclear energy over the same period; believes such distorted and disproportionate investment bias in support of nuclear energy is unwarranted and unbalancing for a sensible energy policy; recalls that the ú2,800 million Thorp nuclear reprocessing plant at BNFL's Sellafield site is due to open early next year and that the Environment Committee called for a full review of the financial consequences of opening the plant in paragraph 216 of its first report (session 1985-86) HC-191 on radioactive waste; recognise that additional subsidies for the nuclear industry will be required to support nuclear waste and decommissioning if Thorp opens; and therefore demands the Government review its policy to open Thorp.

This motion has been signed by a total of 80 MPs.