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Mr. Skeet
asked the Secretary of State for Energy in what year he anticipates there will be a switch from petrochemicals based on petroleum and natural gas feedstocks to coal-based feedstocks.
Mr. Eadie
The National Coal Board anticipates that, subject to appropriate price relativity of coal to crude oil, there will be a gradual movement in favour of the use of coal as a feedstock in chemical manufacture, and the impact of this trend should be felt before the year 2000.