Coal Stocks

HC Deb 03 July 1980 vol 987 c685W

Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the stocks of distributed and undistributed coal for the following years: 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979 and the recorded months of the current year.

Mr. John Moore

Coal stock statistics for Great Britain are published in the Department's monthly statistical bulletin "Energy Trends", copies of which are available in the Library of the House. For convenience the information is given in the following table:

COAL STOCKS IN GREAT BRITAIN
	Distributed*	Million tonne Undistributed
End 1976	22.5	10.7
End 1977	21.7	9.8
End 1978	22.0	12.4
End 1979	18.3	9.6
End January 1980	16.5	9.8
End February 1980	16.2	10.4
End March 1980	15.6	12.1
End April 1980	16.1	12.8
End May 1980	17.1	13.4
*Excluding stocks held by merchants and by industrial and domestic consumers. The figures included for coke-ovens operated by the Iron and Steel Industry are estimated for 1979 and the months of 1980.