The following letter. to the Editor of the National Gazette appeared in last Monday's edition, 30 May:

Sir, Can nothing stop bureaucracy from despoiling the English countryside in the name of profit?

I refer to the British Coal Authority's threat to exploit the newly discovered reserves in the Vale of Floristone, a matter calling for immediate national debate.

The Vale contains farms and village communities set amid some of the finest scenery in the country. The Authority's plan to mine coal here is shocking to all those who care for the preservation of Britain's rural landscape.

In any case the Authority's bland argument that the coal can be sold abroad to improve our balance of payments goes completely against the nation's long-term economic interests and therefore nullifies any possible case for mining. As a once great power we still exist by using native and imported raw materials to create and export manufactured products. In this present period of world energy surplus we must do all we can to conserve our raw materials for the future.
It is patently obvious· that coal in the ground is a much more worthwhile asset than coal out of the ground, which reflects merely a depreciating national bank balance. With all those who love this as yet unspoiled corner of England I shall do alii can to thwart the Authority's intention.
Yours faithfully, j. H. Masham The Chairman of the British Coal Authority (BCA) means to answer this letter and asks you, as his P A, to collect some relevant facts and comments from senior staff. Their responses are set out below. Edit these items and compose a draft reply letter for the Chairman's approval.
Only the body of the letter is required.
BCA has already had contacts with round about 40 local authorities, etc.
about the seams we've located in the Vale. We've had news conferences and endless chats and letter exchanges with pressure groups and what not.
There's a mountain of files on this already. Truth is, we're keen to keep everyone as happy as we can. Anyway, there's a lot of the locals are backing the BCA; not surprising when you think there's not much work going outside of farming and horticulture. If we can get cracking with our arrangements there'll be more cash in people's pockets and less dole money to fork out. How can Masham talk such tripe about an 'immediate national debate' when we've leant over backwards listening to people? And that's only for starters. BCA hasn't even begun to get down to brass tacks yet in sorting out a plan for mining the stuff. Our backroom boys reckon there are 450 million tons under the Vale; that's £7000 million in the national kitty.
Masham's wrong about shipping the coal abroad anyway. The Midland power-stations will be first in the queue. Besides, if we get the green light on the scheme we'll all be less likely to end up buying expensive foreign coal in 15-20 years' time. Be warned; a lot of people who know what they're on about are saying that round about then world energy supplies will be getting short. That will jack the price up. Everyone else will be scrambling for what's going while we're all sitting pretty here at home.
Britain's dead lucky; we've got food and fuel as our biggest natural resources.
We'd better start all pulling together to boost output in both departmeats. Heaven knows, it's time we did something to give a facelift to our balance-of-payments situation. BCA wouldn't be earning its keep if it dian't do its bit to help get the country out of its economic mess. Apart from all that, no one gives a higher rating than BCA to looking after the environment and dodging the grottier social effects of sinking new pits.
Our track record's second to none on this sort of thing.
(RSA Diploma for Personal Assistants)