Britain: An official handbook > 1977

252
COAL
The National
Coal Board
BRITAIN 1977: AN OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
TABLE 18: Energy Consumption by Industrial Groups0
Basis)
(Heat Supplied
million therms
Industry Group
1965
1970
1973
1974
1975
Food, drink and
tobacco 1,819 1,951
Iron and steel 7,497 7,193
Engineering and other
metal trades 3,4oi> j,53/
Chemicals and allied
trades 2,640 3,016
Textiles, leather and
clothing 1,616 1,540
Paper, printing and
stationery 1,397 1,521
Bricks and other
building materials 966 797
China, earthenware
and glass 670 695
Cement 1,127
Other trades 2,078 2,995
Total
Source: Department of Energy
“ Excluding the fuel industries.
2,099
6,575
4,211
4,237
1,417
1,462
669
700
1,273
3,147
2,102
5,542
4,072
4,156
1,297
1,365
579
712
1,176
2,795
1,955
4,890
3,953
3,934
1,190
1,236
513
626
1,084
2,570
23,295 24,689 25,790 23,796 21,951
loans; government discussions with local authorities and other public bodies
on the scope for, and methods of achieving, energy saving; and a major
government publicity campaign to promote the efficient use of energy.
Conservation measures, including the publicity campaign and increased
energy prices (part of the Government’s policy to eliminate subsidies to the
nationalised fuel and power industries), have produced energy savings of at
least 2 per cent of primary energy consumption.
The Secretary of State for Energy is assisted by proposals on the promo¬
tion of energy efficiency from the Advisory Council on Energy Conservation.
In addition, efficiency in the use of fuel, among both industrial and domestic
users, is promoted by bodies representing producers and consumers and by
the technical advisory services of the fuel and power industries.
The main research organisations of the fuel and power industries conduct
research into methods of using energy efficiently. Research is also proceeding
on alternative sources of energy, of which the most promising is considered
to be sea waves. The Energy Technology Support Unit advises the Secretary
of State for Energy on the need for further research into non-nuclear forms
of energy.
Coal has been worked in Britain for over 700 years and an organised coal¬
mining industry has been in existence for over 300 years, some 200 years
longer than in any other country. British coal exports dominated the world
market until about 1910. In 1913—the peak production year—the industry
produced 287 million tons of coal, exported 94 million tons and employed over
a million workers. c ^ n \
In 1947 the coal mines passed into public ownership by means of the Coal
Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, which set up the National Coal Board as
a statutory corporation to manage the industry.
The National Coal Board (NCB) consists of a chairman and between eight
and fourteen members. The NCB has, with minor exceptions, exclusive