§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the correct average differential between the prices paid for imported Australian power station coal and that sold by the National Coal Board to power stations, less subsidy.
§ Mr. John MooreDetailed up-to-date information is not available and estimates have a wide margin of uncertainty. However, on the assumption that new contracts for Australian coal would reflect current Rotterdam spot prices, it is estimated that Australian coal would cost £4 to £5 per tonne less than NCB coal at Thameside power stations, after adjusting the NCB price to take account of quality differences and to eliminate the average effect on NCB prices of operating subsidies. At central power stations, it is estimated that the adjusted price of NCB coal would be £4 to £5 per tonne below that of Australian coal.