HC Deb 15 June 1977 vol 933 cc182-3W
Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects the National Coal Board to achieve its target of 15 million tons annually of opencast coal production; how many new sites will be required to reach that target; what proportion of the total will be anthracite; and how much will be produced at Coalfield Farm, near Ibstock.

Mr. Eadie

If it proves possible to authorise the 100 or so new sites that would be required, the Board could be producing at the annual rate of 15 million tons in 1980–81, of which something over 1 million tons would be anthracite. The Coalfield Farm site is programmed to produce 1 million tons a year from 1977–78 to 1980–81.