File on 4 Investigates Folgen

The amount of coal burned in Britain's power stations rocketed in 2012 with ministers relying on the fuel to help keep the lights on in the next few years. But coal mining in Britain is now in deep trouble. Two of the UK's major mining firms have collapsed and a third is in trouble following a huge underground fire in February. The fire was at Daw Mill in Warwickshire, one of the few remaining deep mines in the UK. Coming on the back of competition from cheap coal from abroad, the costly fire plunged mine operators UK Coal into financial crisis and has put the pensions of workers at serious risk. As the government negotiates to try to help pick up the pieces Julian O'Halloran discovers UK Coal's problems come on top of heavy penalties imposed in recent years by safety regulators over fatal accidents underground. Meanwhile the collapse of two key operators in Scotland has left a trail of unrestored opencast sites which local people say are blighting their areas. They blame national and local government for failing to force the mining companies to clear up their mess. So what does the future hold for the industry, the miners and local communities. And at what cost to the taxpayer? Producer: Nicola Dowling.

Last week, the Government dropped plans to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes in England. It said it wanted to wait and see what happens in Australia where the measure was introduced earlier this year. Labour and health campaigners accused the Government of caving in to the tobacco lobby. A claim it has denied. In Europe, too, MEPs are considering a new law aimed at deterring young people from smoking. The Tobacco Products Directive proposes, among other things, a ban on flavoured cigarettes and increasing the size of health warnings. Jane Deith travels to Brussels and hears claims and counter-claims: of questionable tactics by the tobacco industry and from tobacco lobbyists who say their actions are above board and they have the right to protect their companies' interests. And she also talks to the main players in an alleged corruption scandal which some say could have brought down the European Commission itself. Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Paul Grant.

While the G8 summit of world leaders has agreed a global deal to ensure big business pays its dues, concerns about tax avoidance go wider.A group of MPs has just examined the case of the Cup Trust, a charity which tried to claim £46 million in tax relief but spent just £55,000 on good works. The Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Margaret Hodge, concluded the Trust's purpose "was to avoid tax".And she said this wasn't an isolated case. The Committee heard that HMRC investigates around 300 charities a year over concerns about tax fraud.In this week's File on 4 Fran Abrams examines the blurred lines around charities and tax.What happens when genuine charities find 'donations' are designed so the donors can claim Gift Aid payments from the tax man? And how easy is it to register a charity whose main aim is actually tax avoidance?Is the 160 year-old Charity Commission up to the job of policing 21st Century charities?Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.