24.
asked the Secretary of State for Energy when he will next meet the chairman of the National Coal Board to discuss investment in the industry.
I and my right hon. Friend regularly meet the chairman of the National Coal Board to discuss all aspects of the coal industry including investment.
asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will update the figure in the answer to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell) on 1 April 1974, Official Report, c. 257–62, relating to surpluses and deficiencies of nationalised industries in so far as they relate to the National Coal Board.
The annual report and accounts of the National Coal Board show the following surpluses or deficiencies:
| Year | Outturn prices £ million | 1973 prices £ million |
| 1972–73 | 83·7† | 90·7† |
| 1973–74 | 205·7† | 204·3† |
| 1974–75 | 37·8† | 32·0† |
| 1975–76 | 5·3* | 3·6* |
| 1976–77 | 27·2* | 16·1* |
| 1977–78 | 20·4* | 10·3* |
| 1978–79 | 69·4† | 32·8† |
| 1979–80 | 159·3† | 64·2† |
| 1980–81 | 206·8† | 71·8† |
| 1981–82 | 428·3† | 133·8† |
| * Surpluses. | ||
| † Deficiencies. | ||
Notes:
The results shown are given after interest, taxation and Government grants for specific purposes but before Government grants to meet deficits on revenue account including regional grants. The figures are on a historic cost accounting basis and reflect changes in the NCB's accounting policies in each year, as set out in the board's accounts.
The index used for conversion to 1973 prices is based on changes in the internal purchasing power of the pound, and is published in the CSO Annual Digest of Statistics 1983.
asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will update the figures in the answer to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell) on 5 April 1974, Official Report, c. 473–76, relating to the percentage of fixed investment financed from internal resources by nationalised industries in so far as they relate to the National Coal Board.
The percentages in the following table show the proportion of the NCB's capital requirements, including fixed assets and investments, financed from "internal resources".For the purposes of column
(a), the figures include not only the contributions from the NCB's own resources but also Government subsidies towards deficits on revenue account and grants paid for specific purposes. These figures are on a basis consistent with that used in providing the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell) on 5 April 1974. For the purposes of column (b), the figures include contributions from the NCB's internal resources before Government grants.
Column (a) per cent.
| Column (b) per cent.
| |
| 1973–74 | *0·0 | -244·44 |
| 1974–75 | 48·6 | 1·65 |
| 1975–76 | 71·5 | 56·51 |
| 1976–77 | 44·8 | 25·26 |
| 1977–78 | 38·0 | 16·81 |
| 1978–79 | 23·6 | -12·13 |
| 1979–80 | 26·8 | -11·23 |
| 1980–81 | 20·0 | -11·47 |
| 1981–82 | 34·1 | -36·77 |
* The figure for 1973–74 does not take account of £130·7 million special grant made (following the capital reconstruction of 1973) to extinguish the year's deficit following the national mineworkers strike. | ||
asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list for each year since 1947 the average number of mineworkers employed and the number of pits (a) in operation and (b) closed.
The National Coal Board has given me the following information.
Number of collieries producing at end of year
| Average manpower in industrial grades on colliery books
| Number of collieries ceasing production in year *
| |
Year ending December
| |||
| 1947 | 958 | 703,900 | 21 |
| 1948 | 940 | 716,500 | 35 |
| 1949 | 912 | 712,500 | 31 |
| 1950 | 901 | 690,800 | 22 |
| 1951 | 896 | 692,600 | 10 |
| 1952 | 880 | 709,700 | 11 |
| 1953 | 875 | 707,400 | 18 |
| 1954 | 867 | 701,800 | 19 |
| 1955 | 850 | 698,700 | 22 |
| 1956 | 840 | 697,400 | 14 |
| 1957 | 822 | 703,800 | 19 |
| 1958 | 793 | 692,700 | 28 |
| 1959 | 737 | 658,200 | 53 |
| 1960 | 698 | 602,100 | 35 |
| 1961 | 669 | 570,500 | 29 |
| 1962 | 616 | 550,900 | 52 |
Year ending in March
| |||
| 1964† | 576 | 520,100 | 40 |
| 1965 | 534 | 491,000 | 40 |
| 1966 | 483 | 455,700 | 52 |
| 1967 | 438 | 419,400 | 46 |
| 1968 | 376 | 391,900 | 51 |
| 1969 | 317 | 336,300 | 55 |
| 1970 | 299 | 305,100 | 19 |
| 1971 | 292 | 287,200 | 6 |
| 1972 | 289 | 281,500 | 3 |
| 1973 | 281 | 268,000 | 8 |
| 1974 | 259 | 252,000 | 18 |
| 1975 | 246 | 246,000 | 10 |
| 1976 | 241 | 247,100 | 5 |
| 1977 | 238 | 242,000 | 3 |
| 1978 | 231 | 240,500 | 5 |
| 1979 | 223 | 234,900 | 9 |
| 1980 | 219 | 232,500 | 5 |
| 1981 | 211 | 229,800 | 9 |
| 1982 | 198 | 218,500 | 12 |
Notes:
| |||
* These totals include pits temporarily ceasing production as well as pits permanently closing. The figure for the year ending March 1982 includes two such pits. | |||
| † 15 months period. | |||