asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether, in the light of the considerable job losses in the Kirkcaldy-Glenrothes travel-to-work area following the closure of the Frances colliery and the threat to employment prospects in the Seafield colliery, he will reconsider urgently the recent decision to exclude Glenrothes from regional development grant benefits.

The Government's decisions on the assisted area map, which were announced on 28 November 1984, took account of a number of factors, including occupational and industrial structure, and the new map is expected to remain in force for some years. The loss of jobs at the Frances and Seafield pits, and the continuing threat to the remaining jobs, are a direct consequence of the miners' strike, and are further examples of the damage caused by this pointless and unnecessary dispute.