Appointment

UK Coal PLC
19 December 2002

                                                                19 December 2002

                                  UK COAL PLC
                   Appointment of new non-executive director
              David Jones CBE to join Board and to become Chairman



The Board of UK COAL PLC is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr David
Jones CBE as a non-executive director of the Company from 1 January 2003. Mr
Jones will succeed Mr John Robinson as Chairman following the Company's Annual
General Meeting on 29 April 2003.  Mr Robinson will retire from the Board at
that time.

David Jones, 60, joined The National Grid Company plc in 1994 as Group Chief
Executive and retired on 31 March 2001. He is currently Chairman of Teesside
Power Ltd and a non-executive director of Bull Information Systems.

Mr Jones was formerly Chief Executive of South Wales Electricity, having
previously held senior engineering, commercial and management posts on the South
Western and Midlands Electricity Boards.

John Robinson, Chairman of UK COAL PLC, commenting on the appointment said:

David Jones was an outstanding Chief Executive, taking National Grid to the
stock market and leading it through one of the most successful business
transformation programmes of recent years. I know that he will make a
significant contribution to both UK COAL's energy and property operations.


For further information please contact:


John Robinson, Chairman                                   [phone]
UK COAL Plc

Liz Morley/Tom Tuppen                                     [phone]
Gavin Anderson & Company








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