asked the Minister of Agriculture what area of agricultural land is at present being exploited by opencast coal workings; and which area has been worked and restored to agricultural use.

At 31st May last, 21,393 acres of agricultural land in England and Wales were held for the working of coal by opencast. 13,848 acres from which coal had been extracted were receiving initial after-treatment prior to derequisitioning, of which area a considerable proportion is under grass or is producing other crops. 14,061 acres which had been worked for coal had been derequisitioned and restored to normal agricultural use.