EXTRACTION OF AGGREGATES

Early day motion 288, tabled 22 July 1997 by Paul Stinchcombe (Labour). Signed by 19 members.

That this House commends the commitment of Her Majesty's Government to operate a presumption against open-cast extraction of coal except where it benefits the local community and the environment, and to review Mineral Planning Guidance 3 (MPG3) to this end; notes that the extraction of aggregates, including stone, sand and gravel, also involves significant environmental costs and damage, as stated by Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget Statement; notes also that the planning objectives as set out in Paragraph 8 of the existing version of MPG3 are consistent with those set out in Paragraph 11 of the existing version of Mineral Planning Guidance 6 (MPG6) which concerns the extraction of aggregates, so that if MPG3 is to be reviewed it is logical to review MPG6 also; and therefore calls upon Her Majesty's Government to review MPG6 so that greater encouragement may be given to the use of secondary aggregates and so that a presumption against the extraction of aggregates may be put in place, except where such extraction benefits the local community and the environment.

Signatures by party: Labour 16, Labour/Co-operative 1, Liberal Democrat 1, Plaid Cymru 1.