AGM Statement

UK Coal PLC
29 April 2003


                                                                   29 April 2003

                                       UK COAL PLC
                                      AGM STATEMENT


Retiring Chairman, John Robinson made the following statement:

The year has started well with sales to existing customers 9% ahead of last year
for the first quarter at 5.7 million tonnes (2002: 5.2 million tonnes).  This is
expected to fall back through the summer with market seasonality.  Coal stocks
have reduced in the period by 0.6 million tonnes (2002: increase of 0.5 million
tonnes).


UK COAL's production for the first three months was 5.1 million tonnes, (2002:
5.7 million tonnes) with 4.1 million tonnes from the deep mines (2002: 4.6
million tonnes) and 1.0 million tonnes from surface mines (2002: 1.1 million
tonnes).


Daw Mill Colliery continues to make good progress averaging 35,000 tonnes per
week in the first quarter.  We are now working through the predicted geological
fault line in the face panel and expect to be clear of this area by the end of
June.



Clipstone Colliery completed coal production on 17 April and will now be
returned to The Coal Authority.



Harworth Estates, the property and estates business, has concluded sales of £4.4
million with the disposal of 36 acres at Tetron Point, South Derbyshire, for a
manufacturing facility for Bison Concrete Products Limited, and a further 11
acres to Yorkshire Forward at Rockingham, near Barnsley.



In Australia, our subsidiary, Gloucester Coal Pty, has commenced production from
the Duralie and Bowens Road Surface Mines, on budget and on schedule.  The coal
will be sold into both the domestic (largely thermal coals) and international
(largely coking coals) markets.



As we said at the time of the preliminary announcement, performance is improving
in our deep mines, driven by Project 105 initiatives to reduce unit costs; these
gains, together with the benefits to be derived from our substantial property
interests position UK COAL for a long-term successful future.



Enquiries:


UK COAL PLC
Gordon McPhie, Chief Executive                       01302 751 751

Gavin Anderson & Company
Financial:
Liz Morley                                           020 7554 1400

Operational:
Stuart Oliver                                        01525 381 759




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