§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Power what tonnage of coal, at what total cost, and at what price per ton and per therm, respectively, was supplied by the National Coal Board to the Central Electricity Generating Board in each of the last three years; what are his revised estimates of future requirements under the same headings for each of the next five years; and what are the assumptions on which these estimates are made.
§ Mr. MarshThe quantities supplied were, 61.6 million tons in 1965; 61.5 million tons in 1966 and 59.9 million tons in 1967. The overall levels of N.C.B. prices in individual coalfields are broadly related to coalfield costs, but it is not possible to indentify the cost of producing different qualities of coal which are in joint production. The average pit-head price of coal to the Central Electricity Generating Board was 71s. 3d. per ton (3.65d. per therm) in 1965, 79s. 3d. per ton (4.03d. per therm) in 1966 and in the first half of 1967, 80s. per ton (4.07d. per therm).
On future requirements I cannot add to the information give in the White Paper on Fuel Policy (Cmnd. 3438) published in November, 1967.