asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he is aware that the land at Derby Road, Stanley, in respect of which the Derbyshire County Council refused planning permission for opencast coal working to Messrs. Power (Somercotes) Ltd., is good agricultural land and that the local colliery is threatened with closure; to what extent he took account of these facts in considering the appeal against the council's decision; and why, in view of the high proportion of land in Derbyshire already affected by opencast operations, he allowed the appeal.

This site is 17 acres of rough pasture already affected by past mineral dereliction. After taking account of all available information, my right hon. Friend allowed the appeal because he could see no sufficient objection to opencast working on this land. I am sending to the hon. Member a copy of the letter giving my right hon. Friend's decision.

Does the Parliamentary Secretary agree that the reply given to Derbyshire County Council allowing the appeal was a very dusty one indeed—as dusty as an opencast coal site itself? Having regard to the fact that Derbyshire has already suffered too much in this way, will he think again about the whole matter?

I do not agree that the decision was dusty, either in substance or in terms. All my right hon. Friend had to consider was an appeal against planning refusal and there were simply not sufficient objections on planning grounds to the proposal. The question whether the site should be now worked is a matter for the National Coal Board.