THE Government has faced difficult questions about the future of the planned Woodhouse Colliery coal mine - after committing to 'phase down' coal alongside other nations at this week's Cop26 summit.

Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, accused ministers of "still sitting of the fence about whether it will commission a new coal mine in West Cumbria".

Speaking during Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Questions in Parliament yesterday, Mr Farron added: "Given the incredibly disappointing outcome when it comes to coal from Cop26, isn't this a moment for the UK Government to take a leap and say the coal mine will not now open?"

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng replied: "Firstly, he will understand that the coal mine is a matter of an independent planning decision.

"Secondly, I completely deny his assertion that somehow Cop26 was a failure.

"It was a great success thanks to Cop president Alok Sharma and huge commitments were made which everyone is supporting."

Speaking after the debate, Mr Farron said: “It will be Michael Gove - a Conservative minister - who has the final say on the Cumbrian coal mine.

“So if the Government really did believe that we should, in the words of the Prime Minister, ‘consign coal to history’, then they could pull the plug on this mine today.”

At the same session, shadow business and energy secretary Ed Miliband claimed "too often this Government faces both ways" on climate policy.

He said: "It's time for the Government not just to talk tough, but to act tough. The Cumbria coalmine, the Cambo oil field, cutting overseas aid for the most vulnerable countries, cutting air passenger duty for domestic flights, failing to invest in green recovery at home."

Whitehaven News: Demonstrators from Friends of the Earth outside the proposed Woodhouse Colliery, south of Whitehaven. Picture: PADemonstrators from Friends of the Earth outside the proposed Woodhouse Colliery, south of Whitehaven. Picture: PA

Mr Kwarteng replied: "The person who's speaking with two voices is (him), on the one hand he says Cop was a great success and then on the other hand he's saying the Government has failed, it's inconsistent and it's implausible."

Following last month's 16-day public inquiry on the coal mine, secretary of state Michael Gove will now make the final decision on whether to approve the mine based on the inquiry's findings.

The mine has been a hugely contentious plan, attracting ire from environmentalists but support from other groups based on the employment prospects it is projected to provide for the area.