The petition I am about to present contains 13,000 signatures of Stockport people opposing the pit closures programme. Although there are no pits in Stockport, people are outraged by proposals which will result in yet more unemployment. The ever-rising numbers of people who are unemployed, particularly young people who can see no future for themselves, is of great concern to my constituents.

I was asked by people who attended a meeting at Stockport Labour club last Saturday when presenting the petition to ask the Government to tackle the problem of unemployment before it spreads like a cancer and destroys the very lifeblood of our nation.

The petition reads: Wherefore your petitioners pray that your Honourable House will instruct the Government to reverse the pit closure programme at once, to stop the importation of subsidised coal from abroad, and to put the employment of people before profit to ensure a healthy community where all people can share in the wealth of the nation.

To lie upon the Table.