HC Deb 03 December 1993 vol 233 c750W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1979 the number of operating deep-mine coal pits, the annual output of mined coal, and the amount of coal exported from and imported into Wales; and if he will estimate the total value to the Welsh economy of the coal mined from deep pits over the period since 1979.

Mr. Redwood

The number of deep-mine coal pits and their annual output for each year since 1979 is shown in the following table.

The remainder of the information is not readily available.

Year (to 31 March) Number of deep mines in Wales Output (thousand tonnes)
1979 39 8,415
1980 38 8,304
1981 36 8,356
1982 35 8,240
1983 35 7,625
1984 30 7,237
1985 30 628
1986 19 7,310
1987 15 7,062
1988 12 5,460
1989 10 5,530
1990 6 4,040
1991 5 3,740
1992 4 2,300
1993 2 n/a