Mike O'Brien

Mike O'Brien has defended Labour's policy on coal mining and pledged support for the long term survival of the industry.

Answering questions in the House of Commons, the energy minister said it was important there was a future for the sector.

He also said the government wanted to ensure efficient pits have a continued role.

But private sector companies are entitled to take their own decisions, O'Brien cautioned.

During the exchanges, shadow economic affairs minister Laurence Robertson highlighted fears that energy supplies might run short if demand rises in the coming winters.

As a precaution, the decline of the coal industry should be halted said the Conservative frontbencher.

To Labour jeers, Robertson said clean coal technology could be key to tackling the situation.

Labour was "burying their heads in the sand" on the issue, he added.

Responding, O'Brien declared it was "beyond belief that any Conservative frontbench spokesman could have the brass neck to say that".

He said there was no way the Labour government could be compared to a Conservative Party which presided over the destruction of the coal industry.

"We have put in substantial amounts of coal aid - £57 million," the minister said.

He also confirmed the government was setting out a cleaner coals project with a further £4 million for new technology.

A further carbon abatement technology strategy should be announced this year, O'Brien said.

But he added that the government did need to look at reducing carbon dioxide emissions and said a key way to do that was developing carbon capture systems.

Veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner reminded the Commons that it is the 20th anniversary of the end of the miners' strike.

At that time there were 170 pits in operation and mining was still a publicly owned industry, he said,  but by 1997 only 17 pits remained.

Skinner argued the only way to preserve the remaining pits was to end the role of UKcoal, which he branded a "property company in disguise".

O'Brien defended the company, however, saying they were investing £150 million between 2004 and 2006 to access reserves and maintain employment in viable mines.