Qualifying individuals
Meaning of “miner”
7.In accordance with the definition of “miner” in section 5 of the Act, the pardon applies to individuals who were employed by—
the National Coal Board, or
small mine licensees, to work at small private pits.
8.It does not matter what role the miner had. The definition of “miner” includes, for example, all underground workers, all surface workers and all of those employed in workshops that were situated away from the coal mines.
9.There is no need for the miner to have been employed in Scotland: the miner could have been employed in any part of Great Britain. As long as the conviction (as defined in section 5 of the Act) was from a Scottish criminal court, it does not matter that the individual did not live in Scotland and had travelled from outside Scotland to participate in strike activity.
10.The miner could have been employed at any time during the strike period of 12 March 1984 to 3 March 1985. That means that the definition of “miner” includes miners who retired, or who were sacked during the strike period, who were not employed or on strike at the time that the offence was committed.
