Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Energy and Climate Change

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the UK’s coal resources are used in the most effective manner.

Andrea Leadsom

The UK’s coal mining sector continues to meet a significant proportion of UK demand – in 2014, this was around 20%. In recent years, a number of domestic mining companies have struggled to remain profitable as a result of changes in the global coal market, and the Government has provided substantial financial support to avert the insolvent and unmanaged closure of these mines.

The Government continues to engage regularly with the coal sector to discuss the role of coal as we transition to a low carbon economy.

My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced recently that we will look to limit our use of coal from 2023, with an end date of 2025 and we will consult on this in the New Year. However, security of supply remains non-negotiable and no decisions will be taken which puts this at risk.