§ Mr. Jim Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the cost of agricultural restoration per ton of opencast coal in each year from 1957 to 1974.
§ Mr. Eadie:Annual cost per ton of restoration and compensation in respect of land used for opencast working by the National Coal Board was as follows:
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£ 1957 0.20 1958 0.20 1959 0.20 1960 0.20 1961 0.19 1962 0.18 1963–64 (15 months) 0.17 1964–65 0.16 1965–66 0.15 1966–67 0.15 1967–68 0.17 1968–69 0.19 1969–70 0.19 1970–71 0.19 1971–72 0.19 1972–73 0.24 1973–74 0.24 It is not possible to apportion the cost between restoration and compensation or to provide separate figures for land restored to agriculture without disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Jim Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total tonnage of opencast coal produced in each year from 1957 to 1974.
§ Mr. Eadie :This information was published in Table 1 of the Statistical Supplement to the National Coal Board's Report and Accounts for 1973–74, and in Table 17 of the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics for 1974, copies of which are in the Library.
§ Mr. Jim Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Energy what acreage of restored land following opencast operations was restored to agriculture in each year from 1957 to 1974.
§ Mr. Eadie:The total acreage of land restored in each year by the National Coal Board following opencast operations was as follows:
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1957 6,306 1958 6,191 1959 5,942 1960 15,439 1961 2,662 1962 4,629 1963 5,070 1964 6,086 1965 5,422 1966 4,562 1967 3,412 1968 1,656 1969 1,096 1970 972 1971 1,351 1972 1,671 1973 1,367 1974 801 (up to end of June) It is not possible to obtain separate figures for land restored to agriculture without disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Jim Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Energy what amount of new land was taken each year from 1957 to 1974 to use for opencast coal operations.
§ Mr. Eadie:The acreage taken by the National Coal Board in each year was as follows:
1957 8,167 1958 8,501 1959 507 1960 1,995 1961 952 1962 1,069 1963 1,728 1964 2,164 1965 1,949 1966 2,835 1967 2,258 1968 1,378 1969 2,506 1970 3,825 1971 4,546 1972 2,713 1973 2,543 1974 1,851
§ Mr. Jim Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total acreage of land in the United Kingdom on which opencast coal operations have taken place.
§ Mr. Eadie:154,586 acres, including land handed over to contractors for working up to 30th June 1974.