Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what expert advice on climate change impacts they received before deciding not to refuse planning permission for the proposed coal mine in Cumbria.

In the decision of 6 January, the Secretary of State decided not to call in the planning application for the proposed West Cumbria Coal mine. In that decision, the Secretary of State carefully considered this case against his published policy on calling in planning applications, as set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 26 October 2012. Further representations to MHCLG when received are carefully considered.