Coal industry support

摘要

A package of measures for the UK coal industry was announced in July by DTI:10 pounds M Government support to enable Selby miners to receive pre-privatisation redundancy terms. 5,000 pounds per head for ex-British Coal mineworkers at Longannet mine.A multi-agency taskforce to provide regeneration and retraining for Selby.Consultation on an investment aid scheme for the coal industry.A targeted extension of the operating aid scheme until December 2002.EU Energy Ministers agreed a new set of rules for subsidies to the coal industry in June, which replaces the existing regime, which expired with the European Coal and Steel Community Treaty in July. These new regulations provide the basis for the future of coal policy in the UK and include the flexibility to pay investment aid where appropriate; they came into force on 23 July. Following agreement at at European level to the flexibility to pay investment aid for pits that have a viable future, DTI will be consulting on the case for introducing such a scheme in the UK. DTI is to commission an independent study of remaining reserves at existing deep mines to identify where investment support might be directed. Consultation will also be undertaken on the extension of the current operating aid scheme to the end of 2002, in order to help secure the long-term future of viable mines under exceptional short-term pressure.