The Coal Authority was established by Parliament in 1994 to undertake specific statutory responsibilities associated with:

• Licensing coal mining operations in Britain

• Handling subsidence damage claims which are not the responsibility of licensed coal mine operators

• Dealing with property and historic liability issues, such as treatment of minewater discharges

• Providing public access to information on past and present coal mining operations

• Provide a 24 hour call-out service for reported surface hazards