§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy, in the light of the fact that the domestic market for coal is expected to fall to about 3 million tons, Energy Commission Paper No. 5 Chart 20, by 2000 AD, what consultations he has had with merchants and the trade associations involved over future planning.
§ Mr. EadieMy right hon. Friend has had no such consultations. The consultative document on energy policy, Cmnd. 7101, explains—Annex 1, paragraph 2—that forecasts such as that quoted are subject to a considerable range of uncertainty. The introduction to the document states the Government's intention of allowing the widest possible range of interests to contribute to the development of energy policy. I should be glad to receive any views the coal trade wishes to express.