asked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the need to co-ordinate consideration of the various proposals under the "Plan for Coal, 1974" for new deep and opencast coal mines, he will give the Secretary of State for the Environment responsibility for the holding of all public inquiries.

No. Under the Opencast Coal Act 1958, the responsibility for authorisation of opencast coal working by the National Coal Board rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy; he keeps in close contact with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on these matters. I see no reason to alter the position.