36(1)In subsection (1) of section 51 (interpretation)—
(a)in the definition of “opencast planning permission”, for “the Corporation to work coal by opencast operations or to carry out” there shall be substituted “the working of coal by opencast operations or the carrying out of”; and
(b)after the definition of “statutory undertakers” there shall be inserted the following definition—
““successor”, in relation to an applicant for an order under any provision of this Act, means any person (whether or not the immediate successor of the applicant) who—
(a)in accordance with the provisions of any licence granted to the applicant under Part II of the Coal Industry Act 1994, succeeds to any entitlement of that applicant under that licence to work any coal by opencast operations; or
(b)becomes entitled by virtue of the grant of a new licence under that Part of that Act to work by such operations any coal which the applicant was previously entitled so to work as a licensed operator within the meaning of that Act;”.
(2)After that subsection there shall be inserted the following subsection—
“(1A)References in this Act, in relation to any opencast planning permission, to the person with the benefit of that permission shall be construed as a reference to any person who—
(a)is able, on account of his having all such interests or rights as (apart from that permission) he requires for the purpose, to carry out any of the permitted activities; or
(b)would be so able if the rights which he had and was entitled to exercise included any such right as he has applied for, or is entitled to apply for, under this Act or any right which has been conferred on him under this Act but has not yet become exercisable.”