§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list(a) the number of miners employed by British Coal, (b) the number of the work force employed in opencast mining and (c) the number of fatal accidents and injuries in British Coal mines and opencast mines for each year since 1980.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryI understand that British Coal currently employes approximately 54,000 colliery industrial workers. British Coal does not collect details of the number of people employed by the opencast coal industry, but an approximate total, taking into account those employed directly and indirectly at British Coal's contract sites and licensed opencast sites, is likely to be in the order of 17,000. Information on the number of fatal accidents and major injuries in the coal industry is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive.