Mining Reports Service update

The service is provided under the Scheme agreed with the Society in response to the questions asked on the ScotForm (2003) Enquiry Form. It is a highly computerised service that uses the Authority's award winning Mining Reports & Surface Damage System (MRSDS) and draws on a unique database of coal mining information.

During this last year, the Authority produced some 592,000 reports, a record number, over 9% more than in the previous year and 90% more than in 1998/99. Over 75,000 of these searches were carried out on property in Scotland. 97% of all mining reports were returned complete within 2 working days of receipt (target 87%) with 99% returned within 5 working days (target 95%). By March 2004, 50% of all mining reports were being ordered and returned electronically – the majority via the Authority's Online Service.

The Authority has now introduced insurance cover within all residential property coal mining reports, for loss in property value which may arise as a consequence of providing certain types of changed mining information. It has also introduced an Interpretive Report Service providing additional value-added analysis and advice where mine entries (shafts and adits) are disclosed in coal mining reports. In addition, a dedicated in-house call-centre team are now able to ensure that effective and efficient customer telecall care is maintained throughout the working day.

In partnership with its IT Partners, Capgemini, the Authority has developed and introduced the next generation Mining Reports & Surface Damage System (MRSDS2) and this was successfully launched in April 2004. This new computer system future-proofs the current service and provides fully scaleable property search enquiry logging capacity to cope with up to 10 million searches per annum.

Expedited report service

Following discussion with the Society, it has been agreed that the Coal Authority's expedited mining report service will now only be available to credit account customers or where the full fee (including the expedite element) is paid in advance, either by credit or debit card (over the telephone) or by cheque (postal enquiries).

These changes have been necessary to help remedy audit reconciliation difficulties between mining report enquiries logged and payment received and because of the increased cost of debt-collection administration.

An updated ScotForm (2004) has been produced to reflect these changes and this is available to download on the Authority's online service website at www.coalminingreports.co.uk.

If any practitioner foresees any difficulties with these new arrangements they should contact the Authority's helpdesk staff on 0845 762 6848.

Joe Dearden