HC Deb 28 November 1946 vol 430 cc1769-70
28. Major Tufton Beamish

asked the Minister of Health whether, following his recent visit to Seaford at the invitation of the urban district council, he will state the cost of the estimated total damage to the sea defences; how this cost is to be met; and what assistance his Department has given and will give to prevent further inroads by the sea.

Mr. Bevan

As the reply is rather long I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Lieut.-Commander Gurney Braithwaite

Will the Minister make a similar personal inspection of the sea damage in the Holderness Division if he receives an invitation from the appropriate local authority?

Mr. Bevan

I cannot promise that I will go everywhere to look at coast erosion, but I certainly know how serious it is.

Following is the reply:

Temporary repairs to the sea defences have been carried out at an estimated cost of £49,000 and a scheme for the reinstatement of the sea wall and the renewal of groynes has been adopted by the Newhaven and Seaford Sea Defence Commissioners at an estimated cost of £417,000.

Since the statutory income of the Commissioners from the four constituent authorities is totally inadequate to meet expenditure of this order, the cost of temporary repairs and of the first instalment of the reinstatement works is being met, pending a final settlement of responsibility in a local Act, mainly by the East Sussex County Council and the Seaford Urban District Council. No decision has been reached by the parties concerned with regard to the cost of carrying out the remainder of the reinstatement works.

Officers of my Department have on several occasions taken part in discussions on the technical and administrative problems involved and will continue to give all the help they can. I have so far sanctioned loans to the county council and the urban district council totalling £71,000 and shall give sympathetic consideration to such further applications for loan sanction as prove to be necessary. No Exchequer assistance is at present available towards the cost of these works except from the Ministry of Transport in so far as the works protect a length of the county road near the Buckle Inn.

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