To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the number of pits which will close in the British coal industry over the next year. [17069]

[holding answer 21 November 1997]: Any estimates of coal production and coal burn are resultant from the information submitted to the Department by the private mining companies and private energy generators. It is, of course, in the hands of private sector coal operators to take decisions on the future commercial operation of individual coal mines.