§ 18. Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Energy what forecasts he has received from the National Coal Board about the size of its work force in each of the next two years.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe chairman of the National Coal Board has said that the aim for the present must be a coal industry offering secure jobs through high efficiency and competitiveness, and that he expects the industry's manpower to contract in 1983–84. The precise level of employment in future years will derive from consultations and decisions at local level, but in 1982–83 the industry's manpower was at least 25,000 higher than was envisaged under the Plan for Coal.