Topical Questions

Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Business, Innovation and Skills – in the House of Commons at 9:30 am on 10 April 2014.

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Photo of Tom Greatrex Tom Greatrex Shadow Minister (Energy) 9:30, 10 April 2014

Last week, the Prime Minister said on the BBC that he would do everything he could to keep the pits at Kellingley and Thoresby open. This morning, the Minister of State issued a written statement confirming that the Government were facilitating a “managed closure”. Given that people will begin to lose their jobs on 23 May, there is now a very short period in which it is realistically possible to secure alternative investment to keep the pits open. Towards the end of last week, a private operator suggested that it might be interested. Has the Minister of State, or his officials, had any discussions with it about whether it is possible to find a way of securing a commercial future for those pits and those communities?