Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to his contribution of 4 September 2014, Official Report, column 411, on energy security, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the possible closure of Thoresby and Kellingley coal mines would not affect UK energy security.

Coal is a globally abundant resource with UK consumption of steam coal representing less than 1% of total global production and less than 5% of global trade1.

In 2013, the Thoresby and Kellingley coal mines produced less than 5% of the total amount of coal consumed in the UK2. The package of measures announced by UK Coal on 26 September 2014, including the £4m loan from Government, is intended to enable production at these deep mines to continue until 2015 .

Our efforts to decarbonise our electricity system, increase the diversity of the generation mix and reduce our reliance on unabated coal, also help to ensure secure electricity supplies.

The independent US Chamber of Commerce rates Britain the most energy secure country in the EU and the fourth most energy secure in the world above the US, Japan and Canada amongst others3.

[1] Based on company production returns to the Coal Authority in 2013 and estimates of world coal production and trade (2013 Edition of the IEA Coal Information, 2013 Edition of the BP Statistical Review of World Energy)

2 Based on company production returns to the Coal Authority in 2013 and estimates of UK coal consumption (DUKES, Chapter 2, 2013)

3 International Index of Energy Security Risk, 2013 Edition, US Chamber of Commerce