HC Deb 30 April 1996 vol 276 c472W
Mr. Hardy

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his present estimate of accessible and proven coal reserves in the United Kingdom; and what reduction of such reserves has been recorded following the loss of collieries over the last decade. [26359]

Mr. Page

The remaining reserves of coal at existing mines were estimated in 1994 to be around 1 billion tonnes. Comparable figures for subsequent or earlier years are not available.

Mr. Hardy

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what stocks of British coal were held by(a) British Coal and (b) the generating companies at the end of each quarter over the last five years; and what guidance he offers as to the level which should be maintained. [26374]

Mr. Page

Information on coal stocks is set out in the table.

Thousand tonnes
Undistributed stocks1 Stocks held by electricity generators2
End March 1991 8,325 26,522
End June 1991 10,193 28,212
End September 1991 10,599 31,680
End December 1991 10,977 30,648
End March 1992 10,655 31,174
End June 1992 13,120 31,784
End September 1992 14,239 33,685
End December 1992 13,714 32,173
End March 1993 12,136 34,316
End June 1993 14,084 32,432
End September 1993 15,987 32,194
End December 1993 15,989 28,579
End March 1994 13,060 24,981
End June 1994 12,724 20,916
End September 1994 12,772 18,821
End December 1994 11,271 14,102
End March 1995 9,031 9,921
End June 1995 8,252 10,031
End September 1995 7,940 11,555
End December 1995 7,219 9,677
Notes:
1 Stocks held at collieries and opencast sites.
2 Held at coal-fired power stations belonging to major power producers.

Source:

Table 6 of Energy Trends.

I am currently reviewing the level of fossil fuel stocks to be held by generators.