§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will calculate the appropriate daily volume of natural gas consumption for generation of electricity which is equivalent to the employment of each person employed above or underground in a coal mine of comparable performance to those recently closed as being uneconomic.
§ Mr. EggarI have been asked to reply.
Estimated daily production per person, based on the overall average output per manshift in British Coal's mines for the period January to October 1993, was7.85 tonnes of coal. Assuming an energy content of 237 therms per tonne, 217W and average efficiencies of coal and gas fired power stations of 34 per cent. and 45 per cent. respectively, the equivalent quantity of gas for use in electricity generation would be 1,400 therms or 41 MWh.
Data on output specifically relating to recently closed mines are not held centrally.