Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) unrestored and (b) restored former open cast sites across the UK.

The Department does not hold records relating to the status of surface mine sites as overall planning approval and specific agreement to a restoration plan, detailing how the land will be landscaped once the site has been mined, is a matter for individual Local Planning Authorities (LPA). The LPA is also responsible for the monitoring of any restoration work and ensuring the planning applicant has the financial backing to complete the work.