OPENCAST AWARENESS WEEK

That this House welcomes the consultation paper published by the Scottish Office, entitled the Opencast Coal Review of Planning Policy in Scotland; fully recognises the appalling effects of opencast mining on communities and the environment in many areas of Britain; hopes Her Majesty's Government will support a rapid reduction of opencast mining, by adopting a more sensible management of British Coal reserves; believes that the burden of proof should shift from the objector to the applicant where planning permission is sought to opencast mine coal in any area; and welcomes Her Majesty's Government's further proposals to reduce Co2 emissions along with the 10 point plan in the consultation paper.