National Coal Board

National Coal Board
Company type	Statutory corporation
Industry	Coal mining
Predecessor	Coal Commission (for coal reserves)
Founded	July 15, 1946; 80 years ago in United Kingdom
Founder	Government of the United Kingdom
Defunct	1987
Fate	Renamed British Coal Corporation; assets privatised
Successor	British Coal Corporation
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom
Key people	Lord Hyndley (first chairman), Alf Robens (chairman 1960–1970), Ian MacGregor (chairman 1984)
Products	Coal, coke ovens, smokeless fuel, mining machinery (via subsidiaries)
Number of employees	~800,000 (at inception) (1947)

The National Coal Board (NCB) was the statutory corporation established to oversee the nationalised coal mining sector in the United Kingdom. Created under the provisions of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it assumed control of UK coal mines on "vesting day," 1 January 1947. The organisation was renamed the British Coal Corporation in 1987, with its assets subsequently privatised.

Background

During both World Wars, the government took control of coal mines. The 1919 Sankey Commission provided a platform for advocates such as R. H. Tawney, Sidney Webb, and Sir Leo Chiozza Money to promote nationalisation, although their proposals were ultimately dismissed.

While coal reserves were nationalised in 1942 through the Coal Commission, mining operations remained under private ownership. Prior to nationalisation, many coal enterprises were relatively small despite some consolidation before the war.

Formation and organisation

The NCB was one of several public bodies created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour administration to manage industries brought into public ownership. Following royal assent on 12 July 1946 for the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, the NCB was established on 15 July with Lord Hyndley appointed as chairman. On 1 January 1947, every colliery displayed notices declaring, "This colliery is now managed by the National Coal Board on behalf of the people." Responsibility for opencast mining transferred to the NCB on 1 April 1952.

The board took over 958 collieries from approximately 800 companies, compensating owners with £164.7 million for mines and £78.5 million for additional assets such as coke ovens, brickworks, and smokeless fuel factories. Colliery sizes and production levels varied significantly; average yearly output per mine was around 245,000 tons, with more than one-third producing less than 100,000 tons annually and fifty mines exceeding outputs of 700,000 tons.

Operations were structured into divisions corresponding to principal coalfields, further divided into areas each generating roughly four million tons per year. The NCB also managed power stations located at certain collieries and associated railway sidings, as well as an estate comprising over 140,000 homes and more than 200,000 acres of farmland. At its inception, the board employed close to 800,000 individuals—approximately four percent of Britain's total workforce—with headquarters situated at Hobart House in London.

Formal duties

The responsibilities of the National Coal Board were formally outlined in the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 and included:

History

In 1947, nearly half of Britain’s coal mines required urgent modernization, leading to a comprehensive development initiative. Between 1947 and 1956, the NCB invested over £550 million in major upgrades and new mine shafts, significantly mechanising underground coal extraction. By 1957, British coal production costs were among the lowest in Europe. The 1950 Plan for Coal targeted an increase in output from 184 million to 250 million tons by 1970.

Nonetheless, from the late 1950s onwards, inexpensive oil imports began to challenge coal’s market position, causing contraction within the industry. Between 1958 and 1959 alone, eighty-five collieries were shut down. Alf Robens took over as NCB chairman in 1960 and concentrated efforts on the most efficient mines. During his ten-year leadership, productivity improved by seventy percent despite reductions in both pit numbers and workforce size. By 1967, operations were reorganised into seventeen areas each employing around twenty thousand workers. In 1956, seven hundred thousand workers produced two hundred seven million tons; by 1971 fewer than two hundred ninety thousand workers extracted one hundred thirty-three million tons across two hundred ninety-two collieries.

On 21 October 1966, a catastrophic event known as the Aberfan disaster occurred when a colliery spoil tip collapsed onto a school and residential buildings in a Welsh village, resulting in one hundred forty-four fatalities. The tip was under NCB oversight; an inquiry found both the organisation and nine employees responsible.

Following the miners' strike in 1972, the 1974 Plan for Coal sought to replace outdated capacity while sustaining production levels. By 1983, plans were underway for a £3 billion investment aimed at developing new mining sites.

In 1984, Ian MacGregor, then chairman of the NCB, announced intentions to cut output by four million tons amid rumours of a closure list. This announcement precipitated the prolonged and contentious miners' strike of 1984–85. The industrial action inflicted severe economic hardship and market setbacks; by late 1985 twenty-three collieries had ceased operations.

The Coal Industry Act of 1987 brought about the dissolution of the NCB and established its successor entity, the British Coal Corporation.

Research

The Coal Research Establishment (CRE) of the NCB, located at Stoke Orchard in Gloucestershire and established in 1950 under the leadership of Jacob Bronowski as Director of Research, was closed following the privatisation of the coal sector. Its collection of reference materials is now preserved by the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers.

Formed in 1969 through the combination of the Central Engineering Establishment and the Mining Research Establishment, the Mining Research and Development Establishment concentrated on evaluating mining machinery and operational methods. Situated in Bretby, Derbyshire, it was integrated into the Mining Department during NCB restructuring from 1985 onwards.

Railways

The NCB maintained extensive industrial rail networks at its mining sites, relying on steam-powered locomotives until autumn 1982, when Bold Colliery ceased regular use of steam engines.

Subsidiaries

Subsidiary companies under the NCB oversaw coal-derived chemical manufacturing through the Coal Products Division and produced mining machinery via Tredomen Engineering Ltd. In the mid-1970s, activities of the Coal Products Division were transferred to National Smokeless Fuels Ltd and Thomas Ness Ltd, both fully owned by the NCB.

Films

Founded in 1952, the NCB's film production unit created more than nine hundred instructional films aimed at training employees and new recruits before it was disbanded in 1984.

Housing

As a significant property owner, by the time of the 1984-85 miners' strike, the NCB possessed approximately 170,000 residential units leased to miners and industry personnel. Following this period, government directives required the NCB to divest its housing portfolio; many homes were acquired by miners or former miners, while others were purchased by real estate investors.

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