HC Deb 24 June 1980 vol 987 c110W
Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what technological advances in (a) combustion, (b) gasification and (c) liquefaction of coal will widen the scope for its use in the 1990's and beyond.

Mr. John Moore

Present R & D efforts in coal utilisation are seeking improvements in the cost, efficiency and flexibility of coal combustion, gasification and liquefaction processes. Even so, a wider scope for coal in the 1990s and beyond lies primarily in the way the mining industry can contain costs, improve productivity and increase output.