HC Deb 15 January 1990 vol 165 cc23-4W
Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many men were working underground in mines operated by British Coal in 1978–79 and each succeeding year.

Mr. Wakeham

The numbers of underground wage earners on British Coal's colliery books at the end of the following years were:

Year '000
1978–79 185.1
1979–80 185.8
1980–81 181.0
1981–82 171.9
1982–83 164.4
1983–84 147.5

Year '000
1984–85 139.2
1985–86 113.7
1986–87 91.1
1987–88 74.6
1988–89 68.7