Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will publish production and manpower returns showing how much coal was extracted (a) on the surface and (b) underground in each county in (i) England and (ii) Wales in each month between January and April 2023; for what reason the UK Coal Authority has not yet published this information for the first quarter of 2023; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The January to March figures are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-statistics-2023.
These will be published on a quarterly basis hereafter.
Asked by: Stephanie Peacock (Labour - Barnsley East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether it is his Department's policy that recipients of the National Concessionary Fuel Scheme will receive a reduction in their allowance under that Scheme if they change their fuel source from home coal to (a) gas or (b) electricity.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Concessionary fuel entitlements are governed by historic agreements negotiated between the employer(s) and mining unions prior to the Government assuming responsibility for the liability.
Cash amounts are dependent on several factors, including the scheme the concessionaire belongs to and whether the entitlement arises from being a management or clerical grade.
Before switching from a solid fuel entitlement to cash-in-lieu, concessionaires should contact the National Concessionary Fuel Office which will advise them on the level of entitlement that applies to their individual circumstances.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the paper by the Critical Minerals Association entitled Midstream Processing and Refining: Unlocking Security of Supply, published on 13 March 2023, whether she plans to take steps to (a) map and (b) evaluate where critical mineral resources could be located in historical waste from (i) coal mining and (ii) steel mill flue dust.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Government is taking a wide variety of steps to secure the supply of critical minerals for UK businesses, as set out in the recent Critical Minerals Refresh. The Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre, which is in its second year, will be undertaking a study into the opportunities and challenges of extracting critical minerals from legacy mines, mine waste and other waste streams, and will engage stakeholders in the process.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who previously worked in the coal mining industry have been assessed for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit in each of the last five years.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Information on the number of assessments for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) by Standard Industrial Classification is available on StatXplore in the IIDB Assessments dataset.
The number of people who were assessed for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit over the last 5 years following employment in a Standard Industrial Classification ‘Mining and Quarrying’ occupation is as follows:
2017/18 – 4,110;
2018/19 – 3,170;
2019/20 – 2,890;
2020/21 – 930;
2021/22 – 2,610.
This covers all assessment outcomes, including: accepted payable; accepted not payable; accepted no loss of faculty; disallowed; withdrawn; unknown and not applicable.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answers of 28 September 2022 and 8 November 2022 to Questions 51588 and 74620 on Coal: Mining, what the evidential basis is for stating that there may continue to be domestic demand for coal in industries such as steel, cement and for heritage railways in the context of his Department having not produced estimates of future coal use by industry.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
A breakdown of coal usage trends can be found in Chapter Two of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/digest-of-uk-energy-statistics-dukes-2022.
Asked by: Sam Tarry (Labour - Ilford South)
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 it its policy to permanently cancel any plans to open new coal mines.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave the Hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion on 28th September 2022 to Question 51588.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the answer of 28 September to Question 51588 on Coal: Mining, what estimate he has made of how much coal is needed (a) up to and (b) after 2024 for (i) heritage railways and (ii) cement; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department has not produced estimates of future coal use by industry. There are statistics on supply and demand for coal and manufactured solid fuels published in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solid-fuels-and-derived-gases-chapter-2-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes.
The Hon. Member may also be interested in the House of Lords debate on the heritage steam sector from May this year: https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2022-05-18/debates/A688680D-19C8-4893-8FE3-2AB9D452F511/HeritageSteamSectorCoal.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2022 to Question 39801 on the Coal Authority, for what reason it is his policy to conclude that a low demand for new coal extraction projects does not require a revision of (a) the Coal Authority’s duties with respect to licensing coal extraction and (b) the statutory duty to promote an economically viable coal industry, as set out in the Coal Industry Act 1994; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to phasing out coal from electricity generation by 2024. Demand for new coal licences has fallen away as a consequence. Parliamentary time is precious and the coal extraction industry is already in decline in the UK without further interventions. Although coal will soon no longer be part of our electricity system, there may continue to be domestic demand for coal in industries such as steel, cement and for heritage railways. The current licensing regime leaves room for projects to come forward that could potentially meet that demand.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 18 May 2022 to Question 165 on Coal Authority: Climate Change, if he will make it his policy to revise the duties of the Coal Authority in respect of licensing, as set out in the Coal Industry Act 1994, to act in accordance with the UK’s obligations under international climate treaties, including the (a) Paris Agreement and (b) Glasgow Climate Pact.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to phasing out coal from electricity generation by 2024. Demand for new coal licences has fallen away as a consequence, and there are only a small number of potential coal projects that could result in new coal mining, and only with the consent of the relevant planning authorities.
The Government keeps the Coal Authority’s duties under review, but in view of the low demand for new coal extraction projects, there are currently no plans to revise the duties with respect to licensing coal extraction.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce a ban on new fossil fuel developments in order to combat climate change; and if not, what are the reasons for this decision.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Oil and gas will play an important, yet smaller, role in meeting UK energy demand in the transition to net zero. The Government will introduce a climate compatibility checkpoint, which will be used to inform decisions on future licensing rounds, in keeping with the UK’s climate goals.
Coal mining in the UK has been in long term decline reflecting falling domestic demand. There are only a handful of operational mines remaining in the UK. The Government has committed to phase-out coal power by 2024 – a year earlier than previously planned.