§ Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for Energy what change there has been in real terms in the price of coal produced in the United Kingdom since 1979; and how this compares with the changes in coal prices in real terms in other coal-producing members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development over the same period, from information available from international sources.
§ Mr. Giles ShawThe percentage change in real terms in the price of coal for the domestic and industrial sectors of the United Kingdom and other coal-producing members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development between 1979 and 1983, the latest period for which data are available, is given in the following table.
Percentage change in the price of coal in real terms 1979–83 Industrial sector percentage Domestic sector percentage Australia +95.9 n.a. Belgium +85.6 +32.1 Canada -3.6 n.a. Denmark +11.7 +33.6 France +25.8 +42.8 Germany +21.3 +13.0 Italy +9.5 -5.9 Japan +22.4 n.a. Norway +11.1 +10.4 Sweden -24.3 +10.2 United Kingdom +25.4 *+10.0 United States of America -9.8 n.a. Source: OECD.
n.a.=not available.
*Estimate.