News Release from Sandra Osborne MP
MP calls for action on Coal
Local MP. Sandra Osborne has warned of the serious issues surrounding the Opencast Coal industry and the urgent action needed to address them. She has spoken out following private meetings with the Chief Executive of East Ayrshire Council in Kilmarnock and with the UK Energy Minister at the Department of Energy and Climate Change in London. She said,
"It was clear from my meeting with Chief Executive, Fiona Lees, that there is every likelihood that we could be left with huge areas of abandoned opencast mining in need of restoration but with no clear owner responsible. I am not convinced the Coal Taskforce set up by the Scottish Government will deliver the type of comprehensive response we need as so far there has been no discussion at all on where the money is coming from for the substantial restoration work that is required.
In my meeting with UK Energy Minister, Michael Fallon, I told him that the proposed rail freight charge increases remain unacceptable in the current context, although better than we at one time expected them to be. More importantly I stressed the importance of joined up government in dealing with the huge difficulties we face in East Ayrshire. Westminster has overall responsibility for energy including opencast coal mining while the Scottish Government is responsible for planning and restoration work. I also pressed the Minister for a long term strategy for coal to provide a basis for future investment and security of supply. He assured me this is something he is looking at. However, I asked him to come to East Ayrshire along with Scotland Office Minister, David Mundell, to see the situation for himself and to meet with the Chief Executive of East Ayrshire Council.”
Sandra Osborne is due to meet new owners of Scottish Coal, Hargreaves, this week to discuss in detail their future strategy, in particular how many jobs they intend to provide for local people, and to see at first hand the sites they have acquired.
ends
MP calls for action on Coal
Local MP. Sandra Osborne has warned of the serious issues surrounding the Opencast Coal industry and the urgent action needed to address them. She has spoken out following private meetings with the Chief Executive of East Ayrshire Council in Kilmarnock and with the UK Energy Minister at the Department of Energy and Climate Change in London. She said,
"It was clear from my meeting with Chief Executive, Fiona Lees, that there is every likelihood that we could be left with huge areas of abandoned opencast mining in need of restoration but with no clear owner responsible. I am not convinced the Coal Taskforce set up by the Scottish Government will deliver the type of comprehensive response we need as so far there has been no discussion at all on where the money is coming from for the substantial restoration work that is required.
In my meeting with UK Energy Minister, Michael Fallon, I told him that the proposed rail freight charge increases remain unacceptable in the current context, although better than we at one time expected them to be. More importantly I stressed the importance of joined up government in dealing with the huge difficulties we face in East Ayrshire. Westminster has overall responsibility for energy including opencast coal mining while the Scottish Government is responsible for planning and restoration work. I also pressed the Minister for a long term strategy for coal to provide a basis for future investment and security of supply. He assured me this is something he is looking at. However, I asked him to come to East Ayrshire along with Scotland Office Minister, David Mundell, to see the situation for himself and to meet with the Chief Executive of East Ayrshire Council.”
Sandra Osborne is due to meet new owners of Scottish Coal, Hargreaves, this week to discuss in detail their future strategy, in particular how many jobs they intend to provide for local people, and to see at first hand the sites they have acquired.
ends