§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give an estimate of the number of people employed in the United Kingdom coal industry in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement concerning Government policy towards that industry.
§ Mr. BaldryBritish Coal is by far the largest single employer in the United Kingdom coal industry, and the numbers employed by the Corporation since 1979 are set out in the annual report which is available in the Library of the House.
Decisions on British Coal manpower levels are a commercial matter for the corporation.