News Release
Sandra Osborne MP has arranged a meeting with UK Energy Minister, Michael Fallon, following the announcement on rail freight charges by the Office of the Rail Regulator (12th June) She has warned of the impact any increase of charges would have on the coal industry in Scotland.
She said:
' I am pleased that all our hard work on challenging proposed increased rail freight charges has resulted in securing considerable reductions in what was originally proposed and on what was then proposed in January of this year. However, local communities in the coalfield areas are still reeling from hundreds of job losses and there are also very serious issues with financing major restoration works. Freight charges might not seem top of the agenda at this time of crisis in the opencast industry but Increasing charges, even at a lower level than originally proposed, will make it much more difficult to secure jobs and ensure proper reinstatement of the environment - as well as deterring future investment. The ORR has failed to take proper account of the context in which it is taking these decisions on charges. Merely lowering the cap on increases and relaxing the timescale for implementation, however welcome, misses the point of how serious the problems are facing the Scottish coal industry. The Government has been sitting on the fence on this and the SNP had nothing to say when I held a debate on this in Westminster last October. I have arranged the meeting with the UK Energy Minister now that these final proposals are on the table and I will be pressing the case for the Scottish coal industry to be protected from any increases.'
Ends
Sandra Osborne MP has arranged a meeting with UK Energy Minister, Michael Fallon, following the announcement on rail freight charges by the Office of the Rail Regulator (12th June) She has warned of the impact any increase of charges would have on the coal industry in Scotland.
She said:
' I am pleased that all our hard work on challenging proposed increased rail freight charges has resulted in securing considerable reductions in what was originally proposed and on what was then proposed in January of this year. However, local communities in the coalfield areas are still reeling from hundreds of job losses and there are also very serious issues with financing major restoration works. Freight charges might not seem top of the agenda at this time of crisis in the opencast industry but Increasing charges, even at a lower level than originally proposed, will make it much more difficult to secure jobs and ensure proper reinstatement of the environment - as well as deterring future investment. The ORR has failed to take proper account of the context in which it is taking these decisions on charges. Merely lowering the cap on increases and relaxing the timescale for implementation, however welcome, misses the point of how serious the problems are facing the Scottish coal industry. The Government has been sitting on the fence on this and the SNP had nothing to say when I held a debate on this in Westminster last October. I have arranged the meeting with the UK Energy Minister now that these final proposals are on the table and I will be pressing the case for the Scottish coal industry to be protected from any increases.'
Ends