Mining Industry (Hansard, 21 October 1993)

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list for the past five years in both British Coal and United Kingdom private licensed mines(a) the fatality rate per 100,000 manshifts and (b) the total number of fatalities.

§ Mr. Eggar
[holding answer 20 October 1993]: The information requested, which has been provided by the Health and Safety Executive, is as follows:

British coal mines¹ Private licensed mines

Year Fatality per 100,000 manshifts Total fatalities Fatality per 100,000 manshifts Total fatalities

²1992–93 0.03 3 n/a 3

1991–92 ³0.07 10 n/a 2

1990–91 0.07 11 n/a 1

1989–90 0.10 18 n/a 1

1988–89 0.08 18 n/a 2

¹ Covers injuries to British Coal Corporation employees and contractors.

² Provisional figures.

³ Revised August 1993 to take account of contractors shifts worked. n/a=Not available.

Mr. O'Neill
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what comparison his Department has made of the safety record of British Coal's deep mine operations with those in the United States of America and elsewhere.

§ Mr. Eggar
[holding answer 20 October 1993]: Meaningful comparisons are generally not possible because of the different mining conditions and the different bases on which such information is recorded in each country.
305W

§ Mr. Spearing
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the amount of deep-mined coal produced in the United Kingdom, from 1982 to 1992, distinguishing between categories used for household, coking, industrial boilers, and electricity power generation, which were produced, using domestically

Thousand tones

1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992

Deep-mined 106,161 101,742 35,243 75,289 90,366 85,957 83,762 79,628 72,899 73,357 65,800

Opencast 15,266 14,706 14,306 15,569 14,275 15,786 17,899 19,442 18,880 19,356 18,435

Other¹ 3,284 2,806 1,633 3,253 3,458 2,790 2,405 1,535 1,729 2,208 639

Total production 124,711 119,254 51,182 94,111 108,099 104,533 104,066 100,605 93,508 94,921 84,874

Exports 7,447 6,561 2,293 2,432 2,677 2,353 1,822 2,049 2,533 1,672 668

Stock changes² +10,124 +5,583 -21,412 -1,569 +3,502 -5,235 +2,920 +3,078 -1,484 +5,561 +3,886

Statistical difference³ +205 +91 +1,886 +594 -1,760 +1,302 -489 +34 -1,014 -214 +50

Consumption of UK coal 106,935 107,019 68,415 92,654 103,680 106,113 99,813 95,444 93,473 87,902 80,270

Of which: Domestic 7,860 7,199 3,742 6,299 6,257 5,679 4,561 3,504 3,869 3,323 2,187

Coke ovens 7,827 8,092 2,774 4,069 4,865 4,967 4,612 3,594 2,238 871 646

Industry 7,152 7,227 6,944 8,244 7,575 5,414 5,184 5,091 4,983 4,344 3,356

Electricity generators 79,422 80,225 53,359 71,284 81,465 86,602 82,285 80,623 80,059 77,090 72,422

Other 4,674 4,275 1,596 2,758 3,518 3,451 3,171 2,632 2,324 2,274 1,659

Imports⁴ 4,063 4,456 8,894 12,732 10,554 9,781 11,685 12,137 14,783 19,611 20,373

Of which: Domestic 553 605 1,667 1,516 1,164 855 1,180 1,544 370 1,455 1,991

Coke ovens 2,579 2,356 5,472 7,053 6,257 5,892 6,290 7,198 8,614 9,140 8,385

Industry 32 33 62 67 1,703 1,410 1,945 1,139 767 1,607 2,727

Electricity generators 806 1,340 52 2,656 1,187 1,358 1,973 1,963 4,488 6,927 6,586

Other 93 122 1,641 1,440 243 266 297 293 544 482 684

£ per tonne

Average cost of imported coal⁵ 78.61 80.26 85.42 80.47 61.01 52.20 46.47 46.96 46.77 38.43 35.57

¹ Estimates of slurry etc. recovered and disposed of other than by British Coal from dumps, ponds, rivers, etc.

² Stock fall (-), stock rise(+).

³ Supply greater than (+) or less than (-) recorded demand.

⁴ Though data is available on total imports and on consumption by fuel producers, there is only very limited direct information on consumption of imported coal by final users. The allocation of imports to individual sectors has therefore been estimated.

⁵ Cash figures adjusted to 1993 price levels by excluding the effect of general inflation as measured by the GDP deflator.

Source: Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 1993.
My officials are seeing whether further information, which separately identifies the use of deep-mined coal and opencast coal, is available. If it is, I will write to the hon. Member when the details have been extracted.

	British coal mines¹	Private licensed mines
Year	Fatality per 100,000 manshifts	Total fatalities	Fatality per 100,000 manshifts	Total fatalities
²1992–93	0.03	3	n/a	3
1991–92	³0.07	10	n/a	2
1990–91	0.07	11	n/a	1
1989–90	0.10	18	n/a	1
1988–89	0.08	18	n/a	2
¹ Covers injuries to British Coal Corporation employees and contractors.
² Provisional figures.
³ Revised August 1993 to take account of contractors shifts worked. n/a=Not available.

Thousand tones
	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992
Deep-mined	106,161	101,742	35,243	75,289	90,366	85,957	83,762	79,628	72,899	73,357	65,800
Opencast	15,266	14,706	14,306	15,569	14,275	15,786	17,899	19,442	18,880	19,356	18,435
Other¹	3,284	2,806	1,633	3,253	3,458	2,790	2,405	1,535	1,729	2,208	639
Total production	124,711	119,254	51,182	94,111	108,099	104,533	104,066	100,605	93,508	94,921	84,874
Exports	7,447	6,561	2,293	2,432	2,677	2,353	1,822	2,049	2,533	1,672	668
Stock changes²	+10,124	+5,583	-21,412	-1,569	+3,502	-5,235	+2,920	+3,078	-1,484	+5,561	+3,886
Statistical difference³	+205	+91	+1,886	+594	-1,760	+1,302	-489	+34	-1,014	-214	+50
Consumption of UK coal	106,935	107,019	68,415	92,654	103,680	106,113	99,813	95,444	93,473	87,902	80,270
Of which: Domestic	7,860	7,199	3,742	6,299	6,257	5,679	4,561	3,504	3,869	3,323	2,187
Coke ovens	7,827	8,092	2,774	4,069	4,865	4,967	4,612	3,594	2,238	871	646
Industry	7,152	7,227	6,944	8,244	7,575	5,414	5,184	5,091	4,983	4,344	3,356
Electricity generators	79,422	80,225	53,359	71,284	81,465	86,602	82,285	80,623	80,059	77,090	72,422
Other	4,674	4,275	1,596	2,758	3,518	3,451	3,171	2,632	2,324	2,274	1,659
Imports⁴	4,063	4,456	8,894	12,732	10,554	9,781	11,685	12,137	14,783	19,611	20,373
Of which: Domestic	553	605	1,667	1,516	1,164	855	1,180	1,544	370	1,455	1,991
Coke ovens	2,579	2,356	5,472	7,053	6,257	5,892	6,290	7,198	8,614	9,140	8,385
Industry	32	33	62	67	1,703	1,410	1,945	1,139	767	1,607	2,727
Electricity generators	806	1,340	52	2,656	1,187	1,358	1,973	1,963	4,488	6,927	6,586
Other	93	122	1,641	1,440	243	266	297	293	544	482	684
£ per tonne
Average cost of imported coal⁵	78.61	80.26	85.42	80.47	61.01	52.20	46.47	46.96	46.77	38.43	35.57
¹ Estimates of slurry etc. recovered and disposed of other than by British Coal from dumps, ponds, rivers, etc.
² Stock fall (-), stock rise(+).
³ Supply greater than (+) or less than (-) recorded demand.
⁴ Though data is available on total imports and on consumption by fuel producers, there is only very limited direct information on consumption of imported coal by final users. The allocation of imports to individual sectors has therefore been estimated.
⁵ Cash figures adjusted to 1993 price levels by excluding the effect of general inflation as measured by the GDP deflator.