HC Deb 03 February 1997 vol 289 cc511-2W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total quantity of coal produced by (a) deep mines and (b) opencast mines, in the United Kingdom last year; and what proportion was produced in Wales. [13321]

Mr. Page

My Department's provisional estimates of coal production in 1996 are 33 million tonnes for deep mines and 16 million tonnes for opencast mines. Actual production in 1995 for deep mines and opencast mines was 35.2 million tonnes and 16.4 million tonnes respectively. The Coal Authority has published production data for Wales for the financial year 1995–96 at 3.4 per cent. of total UK deep-mined production and 13 per cent. of total UK opencast production.