§ 38. Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the volume of coal which will be consumed in the United Kingdom in 1984.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe consumption of coal in the United Kingdom in 1984 will depend on many factors including the duration of the miners' dispute. Consumption of coal in the five months to the end of May 1984 was 12 per cent. below consumption in the same period in 1983.
The coal industry's efforts to win business, which is so important to the industry's future, are being destroyed by the NUM's strike action in some areas.