Regional Development Within National Industrial Policies: An Analysis of the British Coal Industry

ABSTRACT Three variations in regional policy distinguish the conduct of the nationalized British coal industry—social industry, state industry, and state commerce. Each variation takes a distinct approach to natural and human resource development in chronically depressed regions such as the peripheral coal fields in Britain or the Appalachian coal fields in the United States. Central to the variation are recognition of the factor of decline that E. F. Schumacher analyzed in the 1950s and the mitigation of social welfare consequences of shifts in production and investment. Schumacher's analysis raised policy issues of social welfare, resource development, and energy. These emerged again in the British coalminers'strike of 1984–85. Broad issues like these are likely to surface in regions where employment is concentrated in a declining industry facing new and severe competition.