HATFIELD COLLIERY AND THE FUTURE OF COAL MINING IN THE UK

Early day motion 450, tabled 20 January 2004 by Kevin Hughes (Labour). Signed by 48 members.

That this House congratulates the miners at the Hatfield Colliery for their steadfast efforts in continuing coal production at the mine under difficult conditions and whilst it is subject to an administration order; calls on the Department of Trade and Industry to match their commitment by supporting their efforts and keeping the mine open on a care and maintenance basis, supporting the development of the Barnsley Seam by doing all that it can to assist in securing funding to exploit the mine's acknowledged 80 to 100 million tonnes of good quality coal which amounts to half of the UK's known accessible reserves; and actively backing the project to build an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle power plant on the site and thereby sending a positive signal to the deep mine coal industry that it is interested in maintaining an indigenous coal industry working alongside the modern clean coal generating technology.

Signatures by party: Labour 42, Labour/Co-operative 3, UUP 2, Plaid Cymru 1.