§ 30. Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Minister of Fuel and Power why the average cost per ton of opencast coal is seven times the selling price per ton of quarried limestone, despite the fact that methods of obtaining both are largely similar.
§ Mr. GaitskellBecause about ten times the volume of earth has first to be removed in the case of coal; limestone seams are usually nearly 20 times as thick as coal seams and practically no restoration costs are incurred in limestone quarrying.