§ Mr. MacFarquharasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what was the output of coal by opencast mining in 1976;
(2) what are the projected outputs of coal by opencast mining in the years 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980.
§ Mr. EadieInformation on the production of coal by opencast methods in the United Kingdom is regularly published in Table 3 ofEnergy Trends, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The latest issue, for March 1977, shows that production in 1976 was 11,755,000 tons. The National Coal Board's objective for opencast coal production in 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1980 is:
1977 11.5 million tons 1978 12.5 million tons 1979 13.5 million tons 1980 15.0 million tons These increases in production will depend on the authorisation of new sites under the procedures laid down in the Opencast Coal Act 1958 as amended by the Coal Industry Act 1975.