HC Deb 30 November 1993 vol 233 cc422-3W
Mr. Kevin Hughes

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what was the average figure for the last six months of cost per gigajoule for each British Coal pit;

(2) what were the average figures for output per man shift for the last six months for each of the pits in British Coal;

(3) what are the latest figures for output per man shift in each of the British coal pits;

(4) what were the figures for the costs per gigajoule of coal produced for each pit in the Northern region of British Coal for each of the last 12 months;

(5) if he will list the latest figures he has for costs per gigajoule of the coal being produced in each British Coal pit.

Mr. Eggar

These are matters for British Coal.

Mr. Kevin Hughes

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the figures for output per man shift for each pit in British Coal northern region for the last 12 months.

Mr. Eggar

This information is not available in the detail requested. The figures for the whole of the northern region were:

Average output per manshift worked
Tonnes
1992
October 4.12
November 4.30
December 4.23
1993
January 45.8
February 4.99
March 5.48
April 4.26
May 4.03
June 4.43
July 6.61
August 6.13
September 6.17

Mr. Kevin Hughes

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions Bentley colliery has been penalised in a contract for supply to electricity generators for(a) the chlorine content and (b) the sulphur content of its fuel.

Mr. Eggar

These detailed points relate to supply contracts and are matters for British Coal.

Mr. Kevin Hughes

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what figures he has, in terms of cost per gigajoule, on the prices being paid by electricity generators for British coal.

Mr. Eggar

The prices paid by the electricity industry to individual coal supplies are confidential to the companies concerned. The average price of all coal purchased by the major United Kingdom electricity generating companies is however published in table 26 of "Energy Trends", the Department's monthly statistical bulletin. In the second quarter of 1993 the average price was £1.64 per gigajoule.

Mr. Kevin Hughes

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what were the profit and loss figures for each British Coal pit for(a) the last six months, (b) the first six months of this year and (c) each of the last three financial years;

(2) if he will list British Coal pits in order of profitability in the last 12 months;

(3) what was the total profit for each British Coal pit over the last five years.

Mr. Eggar

The profitability of individual pits is a matter for British Coal.