Written question asked by John Battle (Labour), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 16 October 1996. It was answered by Richard Page (Conservative) on Wednesday, 16 October 1996 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: What tonnages of stockpiled coal are currently held by power generators in England, Scotland and Wales; and what assessment he has made of the likelihood of them meeting demand over the next six months. - Includes figure.

Answer: Mr. Battle: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what tonnages of stockpiled coal are currently held by power generators in England, Scotland and Wales; and what assessment he has made of the likelihood of their meeting demand over the next six months. [41290] Mr. Page: Latest available data are for the end of July 1996 when electricity generators in the United Kingdom held 7.7 million tonnes of coal in stock. Separate figures for England, Scotland, and Wales are not available. I expect stocks to be adequate to maintain generation at coal-fired stations over the next six months.

Secondary information