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Coal Miners

Volume 867: debated on Tuesday 15 January 1974

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asked the Minister for Energy how many miners left the coal industry in 1971, 1972 and 1973, respectively ; and if he will break down the figures between those affected by pit closures and termination of employment.

The figures are as follows:

Gross Manpower Wastage from NCB Mines
197119721973*
Voluntary15,2409,67321,400
Redundants4,1826,8177,300
Other Involuntary12,8879,6239,200
Total32,30926,11337,900
*Partly estimated.
Estimated Manpower affected by Colliery Closures
197119721973
Number affected2,2003,0006,900
of whom made redundant1,3001,3002,900
NCB manpower statistics are published in the annual reports and accounts of the NCB and in the United Kingdom Digest of Energy Statistics. Copies are held in the Library of the House.

asked the Minister for Energy if he will give the totals, respectively, of coal miners killed and severely injured in the years 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973 both as numbers and as annual percentages of the industrial workforce.

The figures are as follows:

COAL MINES
YearDeathsAs percentage of men on colliery books*Serious injuriesAs percentage of men on colliery books*
197091·0316410·22
197172·0256410·22
1972†64·0235190·19
1973‡§77·0315420·22
* Excludes clerks and salaried persons at the mines.
† The figures are affected by the industrial dispute which closed NCB mines between 10th January and 28th February 1972.
‡ Provisional figures for the 50 weeks to 15th December 1973.
§ Includes the three serious accidents at Lofthouse, Seafield and Markham Collieries.
COAL AND OIL PRODUCTION AND STOCKS 1973/74 (1972/73 in brackets)
Week Ending
29th September 19738th December 197315th December 197322nd December 197329th December 19735th January 1974
Coal
Production (M. tons) (b)2·61·91·91·80·40·8
(2·8)(3·0)(3·0)(2·8)(0·9)(1·9)
Stocks:
Undistributed (NCB) (M. tons) (c)13·311·511·310·910·810·7
(9·7)(10·9)(11·0)(10·9)(10·8)(10·7)
Power Stations (M. tons) (d)20·316·215·515114·513·9
(16·6)(16·9)(16·9)(16·8)(16·2)(15·7)
Oil Stocks
Held by Oil Companies (M. tons) (e)23·119·919·218·518·9190
(Days' supply) (e)76·060·057·055·056·056·0
Power Stations (M. tons) (f)0·60·80·80·80·80·7
(0·5)(0·6)(0·6)(0·6)(0·5)(0·5)
Electricity
Estimated Savings (percentage) (g)11172021
(a) M. tons = million tons.
Coal
(b) In a normal week, unaffected by holidays or industrial disputes, some 2·7M. tons might be produced.
(c) At the latest date only about 3·8M. tons is suitable for use in power stations, and of this total nearly 2M. tons can be used only in the South Wales area.
(d) Minimum critical level is estimated to be about 7M. tons.
Oil
(e) Total United Kingdom oil stocks at 5th January 1974 amounted to 19·0M. tons or 56 days" supply at the normal level of consumption at this time of year. These are held as crude and process oil at the refineries and as products at various points in the distribution system. Certain minimum stock levels must be maintained if the refining and distribution system is to operate effectively. At the 45 day level (about 15M. tons) local shortages would begin to appear and below this level would become increasingly severe. The most difficult situation is likely to be in industrial oils, expecially fuel oil.
(f) Oil burning stations only.
Electricity
(g) Savings are based on a comparison with estimated demand in the absence of restrictions. Weekly data on oil company stocks were not collected a year ago but only at monthly intervals. At the end of September, November and December 1972 these stocks were 22·6, 20·8 and 20·2 million tons representing 77, 67 and 63 days' supply.
Latest estimates of deliveries to power stations (Receipts) and use of fuels (consumption) are given below.