To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the future of British Coal Enterprise. [36547]

Following careful consideration of the options, the Government have accepted British Coal's recommendation that British Coal should invite competitive proposals for all or part of its British Coal Enterprise subsidiary. This will enable British Coal to take a clear view on the best way forward for BCE, having regard to its statutory duties and the importance of ensuring continuation of effective assistance to the coalfield communities. British Coal expects that the process will be concluded by March 1996.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the timetable for transferring remaining liabilities from the British Coal Corporation to the Secretary of State. [36544]

The Department had already taken on responsibility for a number of British Coal liabilities, including for concessionary fuel, for certain pension fund contributions, and for health and injury liabilities to former British Coal employees who transferred to the private sector successor companies and the Coal Authority in respect of their past service with British Coal.Where remaining liabilities, including those arising in connection with health-damage claims for former British Coal employees who have not transferred to private sector successor companies, are not otherwise dealt with, they will similarly be transferred by the end of 1997.The Coal Industry Act 1994 provides that the corporation may be dissolved as soon as it appears to the Secretary of State that it is no longer necessary for the corporation to continue to exist. I would not expect to reach such a conclusion without being satisfied that there was proper provision for all outstanding liabilities to be honoured.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those organisations and individuals who made representations to his Department supporting the sale of CINven separately from CINMan. [36299]

The Department and British Coal have received a number of representations on the separate sale of CINVen. The decision to allow for a separate sale was made after consideration by all the interested parties, including CINMan, CINVen and trustees of the British Coal pension schemes as well as by British Coal and my Department.