§ Mr. HeseltineTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many deep mine coal pits are operating in Great Britain; and what percentage of national electricity generation is fuelled by coal. [121448]
§ Mr. ByersThere are currently 17 major deep mine coal pits in operation in the UK.
There are also a number of smaller deep mines, each producing less than 100,000 tonnes of coal per year.
In 1999, coal accounted for 29 per cent. of national electricity generation.