BRITISH COAL MINE SERVICE CENTRES

That this House notes with increasing concern the position of the four British coal mine service centres at Shafton, Tursdale, Bestwood and Ashington which have been deliberately starved of work since October 1992 and whose workforces are now decreasing through a policy of demoralisation and redundancy; is concerned at the inevitable financial losses to the centres, caused by the actions of British Coal in concentrating their efforts in looking for work in the private sector and not from within the mining industry which, in the case of Shafton Workshops, could total ú1 million by the end of the last financial year; questions the involvement of British Coal senior management in discussions with Vista-UDM relating to the construction of recycling plants which may be to ensure the future of the two mine service centres which have UDM majority membership at the expense of the workshops at Shafton and Ashington; is dismayed that British Coal is concerned with the privatisation of the workshops at the earliest opportunity; and therefore calls upon them to reverse this policy and ensure the future of all the mine service centres with work from within the mining industry.