To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last consulted representatives of miners or underground supervisory staff on mines safety.

Safety in mines is the responsibility of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive which regularly consult representative organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy to what factors he attributes the safety record of mines owned by the British Coal Corporation.

I pay tribute to the management and work force of the corporation for their impressive achievements in improving safety in recent years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last discussed mines safety with the Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive respectively.

My Department maintains close contact with the Health and Safety Executive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received over the last three years about the number of hours which can be worked underground in coal mines.

There have been discussions between my officials and British Coal about the number of hours worked by mineworkers.