Sandra Osborne MP challenges Scottish Minister to answer his own question
MP for Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock, Sandra Osborne has challenged Energy Minister Fergus Ewing to say what financial help the Scottish Government intends to make available to address the £200 million shortfall in the amount set aside by coal firms to restore former mines because insurance policies intended to pay for restoration work might be "almost worthless".
She said
“Mr Ewing’s bluster that he is still to receive a reply from the UK Energy Minister to his previous two letters requesting financial help is a classic case of ‘passing the buck’. The one question he is best placed to answer is what financial help the Scottish Government intends to provide as the body with devolved responsibility for restoration. .Perhaps he should write a couple of letters to himself. I totally agree with him that the UK Government should be pressed for a contribution from the money collected by the UK Government over the years from the levy on coal mined in Scotland. I have already had two meetings with UK Energy Minister, Michael Fallon, the most recent in London involving East Ayrshire Council when we have pressed him for financial assistance from this and any other source.
I have been pressing Mr Ewing at all the Coal Taskforce Meetings for an answer to the question on what funding the Scottish Government is prepared to make available but haven’t had an answer. The Taskforce has been a very useful body to bring together all the key players but without answers to the questions about funding it is only a talking shop.
We are facing an environmental catastrophe in East Ayrshire and we deserve to know the practical financial response of Government as happens in other areas when disasters occur. If Fergus Ewing is prepared to use the Taskforce as a vehicle to announce Scottish Government financial support and challenge others to follow then it can still be a success. Otherwise it will serve only as a diversion to take the focus away from those who should be held accountable for this mess.”
Note:Mr Ewing, who has written to Mr Fallon twice on the issue and says he has yet to receive any reply, said: "As the chair of the Scottish Coal Taskforce, a key priority to move forward with restoration of opencast coal mines is engagement and collaborative working. Collaboration with Scottish and UK Government, agencies, local councils, community groups, coal operators, regulators and unions to work together and bring expertise to the table is vital to secure appropriate restoration. Mr Ewing, who has written to Mr Fallon twice on the issue and says he has yet to receive any reply, said: "As the chair of the Scottish Coal Taskforce, a key priority to move forward with restoration of opencast coal mines is engagement and collaborative working. Collaboration with Scottish and UK Government, agencies, local councils, community groups, coal operators, regulators and unions to work together and bring expertise to the table is vital to secure appropriate restoration. ::
"However with a financial shortfall in restoration costs it makes sense that the money collected by the UK Government over the years from coal mined in Scotland be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites. We understand the levy income collected from Scotland to date is within the region of £15m.
"This money - or at the very least a proportion of it - should now be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites."
Last month, the appeals division of the Court Of Session ruled that owners of non-operational opencast mines cannot abandon them without fulfilling obligations to clean them up. That left liquidators of the Scottish Coal Company facing huge costs after they were told they could not walk away from sites and use the money to pay off creditors.
Mr Ewing, who has written to Mr Fallon twice on the issue and says he has yet to receive any reply, said: "As the chair of the Scottish Coal Taskforce, a key priority to move forward with restoration of opencast coal mines is engagement and collaborative working. Collaboration with Scottish and UK Government, agencies, local councils, community groups, coal operators, regulators and unions to work together and bring expertise to the table is vital to secure appropriate restoration.
"However with a financial shortfall in restoration costs it makes sense that the money collected by the UK Government over the years from coal mined in Scotland be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites. We understand the levy income collected from Scotland to date is within the region of £15m.
"This money - or at the very least a proportion of it - should now be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites."
Last month, the appeals division of the Court Of Session ruled that owners of non-operational opencast mines cannot abandon them without fulfilling obligations to clean them up. That left liquidators of the Scottish Coal Company facing huge costs after they were told they could not walk away from sites and use the money to pay off creditors.
Mr Ewing, who has written to Mr Fallon twice on the issue and says he has yet to receive any reply, said: "As the chair of the Scottish Coal Taskforce, a key priority to move forward with restoration of opencast coal mines is engagement and collaborative working. Collaboration with Scottish and UK Government, agencies, local councils, community groups, coal operators, regulators and unions to work together and bring expertise to the table is vital to secure appropriate restoration.
"However with a financial shortfall in restoration costs it makes sense that the money collected by the UK Government over the years from coal mined in Scotland be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites. We understand the levy income collected from Scotland to date is within the region of £15m.
"This money - or at the very least a proportion of it - should now be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites."
Last month, the appeals division of the Court Of Session ruled that owners of non-operational opencast mines cannot abandon them without fulfilling obligations to clean them up. That left liquidators of the Scottish Coal Company facing huge costs after they were told they could not walk away from sites and use the money to pay off creditors.
Note:
NoteLast month, the appeals division of the Court of Session ruled that owners of non-operational opencast mines cannot abandon them without fulfilling obligations to clean them up. That left liquidators of the Scottish Coal Company facing huge costs after they were told they could not walk away from sites and use the money to pay off creditors.
ends
MP for Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock, Sandra Osborne has challenged Energy Minister Fergus Ewing to say what financial help the Scottish Government intends to make available to address the £200 million shortfall in the amount set aside by coal firms to restore former mines because insurance policies intended to pay for restoration work might be "almost worthless".
She said
“Mr Ewing’s bluster that he is still to receive a reply from the UK Energy Minister to his previous two letters requesting financial help is a classic case of ‘passing the buck’. The one question he is best placed to answer is what financial help the Scottish Government intends to provide as the body with devolved responsibility for restoration. .Perhaps he should write a couple of letters to himself. I totally agree with him that the UK Government should be pressed for a contribution from the money collected by the UK Government over the years from the levy on coal mined in Scotland. I have already had two meetings with UK Energy Minister, Michael Fallon, the most recent in London involving East Ayrshire Council when we have pressed him for financial assistance from this and any other source.
I have been pressing Mr Ewing at all the Coal Taskforce Meetings for an answer to the question on what funding the Scottish Government is prepared to make available but haven’t had an answer. The Taskforce has been a very useful body to bring together all the key players but without answers to the questions about funding it is only a talking shop.
We are facing an environmental catastrophe in East Ayrshire and we deserve to know the practical financial response of Government as happens in other areas when disasters occur. If Fergus Ewing is prepared to use the Taskforce as a vehicle to announce Scottish Government financial support and challenge others to follow then it can still be a success. Otherwise it will serve only as a diversion to take the focus away from those who should be held accountable for this mess.”
Note:Mr Ewing, who has written to Mr Fallon twice on the issue and says he has yet to receive any reply, said: "As the chair of the Scottish Coal Taskforce, a key priority to move forward with restoration of opencast coal mines is engagement and collaborative working. Collaboration with Scottish and UK Government, agencies, local councils, community groups, coal operators, regulators and unions to work together and bring expertise to the table is vital to secure appropriate restoration. Mr Ewing, who has written to Mr Fallon twice on the issue and says he has yet to receive any reply, said: "As the chair of the Scottish Coal Taskforce, a key priority to move forward with restoration of opencast coal mines is engagement and collaborative working. Collaboration with Scottish and UK Government, agencies, local councils, community groups, coal operators, regulators and unions to work together and bring expertise to the table is vital to secure appropriate restoration. ::
"However with a financial shortfall in restoration costs it makes sense that the money collected by the UK Government over the years from coal mined in Scotland be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites. We understand the levy income collected from Scotland to date is within the region of £15m.
"This money - or at the very least a proportion of it - should now be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites."
Last month, the appeals division of the Court Of Session ruled that owners of non-operational opencast mines cannot abandon them without fulfilling obligations to clean them up. That left liquidators of the Scottish Coal Company facing huge costs after they were told they could not walk away from sites and use the money to pay off creditors.
Mr Ewing, who has written to Mr Fallon twice on the issue and says he has yet to receive any reply, said: "As the chair of the Scottish Coal Taskforce, a key priority to move forward with restoration of opencast coal mines is engagement and collaborative working. Collaboration with Scottish and UK Government, agencies, local councils, community groups, coal operators, regulators and unions to work together and bring expertise to the table is vital to secure appropriate restoration.
"However with a financial shortfall in restoration costs it makes sense that the money collected by the UK Government over the years from coal mined in Scotland be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites. We understand the levy income collected from Scotland to date is within the region of £15m.
"This money - or at the very least a proportion of it - should now be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites."
Last month, the appeals division of the Court Of Session ruled that owners of non-operational opencast mines cannot abandon them without fulfilling obligations to clean them up. That left liquidators of the Scottish Coal Company facing huge costs after they were told they could not walk away from sites and use the money to pay off creditors.
Mr Ewing, who has written to Mr Fallon twice on the issue and says he has yet to receive any reply, said: "As the chair of the Scottish Coal Taskforce, a key priority to move forward with restoration of opencast coal mines is engagement and collaborative working. Collaboration with Scottish and UK Government, agencies, local councils, community groups, coal operators, regulators and unions to work together and bring expertise to the table is vital to secure appropriate restoration.
"However with a financial shortfall in restoration costs it makes sense that the money collected by the UK Government over the years from coal mined in Scotland be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites. We understand the levy income collected from Scotland to date is within the region of £15m.
"This money - or at the very least a proportion of it - should now be put to good use to help with the restoration of opencast sites."
Last month, the appeals division of the Court Of Session ruled that owners of non-operational opencast mines cannot abandon them without fulfilling obligations to clean them up. That left liquidators of the Scottish Coal Company facing huge costs after they were told they could not walk away from sites and use the money to pay off creditors.
Note:
NoteLast month, the appeals division of the Court of Session ruled that owners of non-operational opencast mines cannot abandon them without fulfilling obligations to clean them up. That left liquidators of the Scottish Coal Company facing huge costs after they were told they could not walk away from sites and use the money to pay off creditors.
ends