§ 35. Mr. MACQUISTENasked the Minister for Agriculture how many cubic feet of timber piling have been used in the construction of the groynes along the South Coast from east of Hastings for 10 miles past Pett; the cost of such timber; the cost of erecting and driving in the piles composed of such timber; the total cost of the whole operations for the prevention of erosion; and the estimated cost of maintenance, together with the total area of land reclaimed or preserved by these operations?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Guinness)In all, seven State-aided sea defence schemes have been carried out on the stretch of coast referred to during the years 1921–1927. 39,711 cubic feet of timber were used at a cost of £7,488. The expenditure on labour amounted to £13,420, and the total cost of the schemes to £23,804, including an approximate figure for the last scheme of which final accounts are not yet available. I regret that I cannot give an estimate 2000 of the cost of maintenance. I am advised that any serious breach on this front would endanger upwards of 10,000 acres.