§ Mr. Swainasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the average weekly output of opencast coal from 1st January, 1971, to 1st November, 1971; and what were the stocks of opencast coal on 1st November, 1971.
§ Mr. RidleyThe average weekly production of opencast coal in the period from 3rd January, 1971, to 30th October, 1971, was 200,000 tons. Stocks of opencast coal are given in the Weekly Statistical Statement issued by the Department and available in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. Swainasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the average per week of consumption of coal and smokeless fuel from 1st January, 1971, to 1st November, 1971.
§ Mr. RidleyThe average weekly consumption of all coal in the period from 3rd January, 1971, to 30th October, 1971, was 2.6 million tons. For anthracite and100W dry steam coal the average weekly sales by merchants, mainly to domestic consumers, was 27,000 tons. Figures for all solid smokeless fuels for this period are not available.
§ Mr. Swainasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the cost per ton of production of deep mined coal in the coal producing countries in the European Economic Community; and how this compares with the cost in Great Britain.
§ Mr. RidleyAs far as I am aware, there are no statistics which show the cost of production of deep-mined coal in the European Economic Community in a form comparable with those published in the Annual Reports and Accounts of the National Coal Board.
§ Mr. Swainasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what stocks of coal and smokeless fuel distributed and undistributed were on the ground on 1st November, 1971.
§ Mr. RidleyThe available information is given in the Weekly Statistical Statement issued by the Department and which is available in the Library of the House.