Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) minimum health and safety and (b) environmental production standards that overseas coal producers would have to meet before they are allowed to export coal to the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Health, safety and environmental standards for the mining of coal is an important issue. The industry’s Bettercoal initiative works to support the majority of UK coal buyers on responsible sourcing of coal on the global market — particularly around social, environmental, and ethical practices in the supply chain.