ANNESLEY BENTINCK, OLLERTON, MANTON AND ELLINGTON COLLIERIES

That this House congratulates the miners of Annesley Bentinck, Ollerton, Manton and Ellington collieries in their determination to fight closure; condemns British Coal for wasting valuable energy reserves by placing collieries on a care and maintenance basis and allowing the sterilisation of millions of tonnes of coal underground; blames the Government for creating an artificial market and for putting coal at a significant disadvantage through privatisation of the electricity industry and investment in nuclear and gas-generated electricity, and so making the sale of coal impossible; and calls on British Coal not to use their ability to pressurise miners to accept redundancy but to allow them free choice in deciding whether to accept the terms of the redundancy package agreed under the Government's colliery review procedure.