The Coal Authority is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). On behalf of the country, it owns the vast majority of unworked coal in Great Britain, as well as former coal mines, and undertakes a range of functions including: licensing coal mining operations matters with respect to coal mining subsidence damage outside the areas of responsibility of coal mining licensees dealing with property and historical liability issues; for example environmental projects, mine water treatment schemes and surface hazards relating to past coal mining providing public access to information held by the Coal Authority on coal mining Purpose The Coal Authority’s stated purpose is to: keep people safe and provide peace of mind protect and enhance the environment use its information and expertise to help people make informed decisions create value and minimise cost to the taxpayer The Coal Authority provides services to other government departments and agencies, local governments and commercial partners, while contributing to the delivery of the government’s Industrial Strategy and the 25-year Environment Plan. As a public body that holds significant geospatial data it is also working with the Geospatial Commission to look at how, by working together, it can unlock significant value across the economy. As part of the Coal Authority's duty to protect the public and the environment, it operates a 24-hour telephone line for reporting coal mine hazards and operates 82 mine water treatment schemes across the UK, cleaning more than 122 billion litres of mine water every year. Governance and strategy The Coal Authority has an independent board responsible for setting its strategic direction, policies and priorities, while ensuring its statutory duties are carried out effectively. Non-executive directors are recruited and appointed to the board by the Secretary of State for DESNZ. Executive directors are recruited to their posts by the board and appointed to the board by the Secretary of State for DESNZ. History It was established under the Coal Industry Act 1994 to manage some functions, in which the British Coal Corporation (formerly the National Coal Board) had previously undertaken, including ownership of unworked coal. The Coal Authority's public task comprises all the functions, duties and responsibilities is set out in the following documents The Coal Industry Act 1994 ("the 1994 Act") The Coal Mining Subsidence Act 1991, as amended by the 1994 Act A Revised Coal