§ Mr. Allen McKayasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether there are plans to increase coal exports to the European Community now and in the near future, in view of the Commission's plans to increase coal burn from 190 million tonnes per annum—excluding the United Kingdom—to about 333 million tonnes per annum by the year 2000.
§ Mr. Giles ShawIn 1982 the United Kingdom exported nearly 6 million tonnes of coal to European Community countries. It remains the NCB's objective to expand these sales. But even to maintain the level of exports in the longer term the coal industry will have to increase its efficiency and competitiveness.