asked the Secretary of State for Energy what are the rates of interest charged on EEC loans to coal miners for house purchase or home modernisation and the term of the mortgage; and whether the proposals are operational in the United Kingdom.

EEC loans for house improvement or construction are not available direct to individual miners but through an appropriate organisation and are repayable normally over 20 to 25 years. The interest rate is 1 per cent., and the benefit of this must be passed on to the individual miner. The National Coal Board has obtained one such loan of £1·7 million for improvement of miners' housing.