HC Deb 11 May 1953 vol 515 cc1011-3
The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture (Mr. G. R. H. Nugent)

I beg to move, in page 2, line 48, at the end, to insert: (5) A river board seeking an authorisation under this Act for work which consists of or includes—

  1. (a) constructing a groyne, or moving beach materials or doing other work, on a site to the seaward side of a bank, wall or embankment, or
  2. 1012
  3. (b) constructing, improving or repairing a bank, wall or embankment adjacent to a place where coast protection work has been or is being done by a coast protection authority,
shall give notice of the nature of the work for which they seek the authorisation, in so far as it falls within paragraph (a) of this subsection to the coast protection authority in whose area the site is and to any coast protection authority whose area adjoins the area of that authority, and, in so far as it falls within paragraph (b) of this subsection, to the coast protection authority in whose area the place is. In this subsection the expressions "coast protection work" and "coast protection authority" have the meanings assigned to them by the Coast Protection Act, 1949. This additional subsection gives effect to a promise made in Committee to provide adequate safeguards for consultation with the coast protection authorities where work is being done by river boards either adjacent to the coast protection authority work itself, or on the seaward side of the coast defences where the work may affect the work of the adjoining coast protection authority. The point is that where work is done on the seaward side of coast defences it may affect a region of the coast a considerable distance away. I think that the additional subsection, as drafted, fully covers the point.

Mr. Edward Evans

I warmly welcome this Clause on behalf of both myself and my hon. Friends. It was stressed in Committee how vital it is that sea defence work should not be carried on in isolation, but that everything should be coordinated. We were disappointed that the coast protection authorities were not mentioned at all in the original draft of the Bill. There is nothing more important that that this work should be co-ordinated, otherwise it spells disaster, and there have been cases where work at one place has reacted detrimentally upon other places.

Mr. Blenkinsop

We welcome this Amendment, which was put down to meet representations made from hon. Members on this side during the Committee stage, and was also mentioned during the Second Reading debate. We are not, however, happy about the Amendment as drafted. It does not go so far as we should like. We withdrew an Amendment which would ensure not merely notice being given to coast protection authorities, but that an opportunity should be given for authorities to make any representations.

This Amendment is very limited, and refers only to notice being given to coast protection authorities where they have already done certain work. We should have preferred it to be more widely drafted. However, we appreciate that this is an emergency Bill and, therefore, the whole procedure is for a limited duration. We appreciate that a committee has been set up to examine the whole question of further work on coast protection.

We are therefore prepared to accept the Amendment. We hope it will be administered in such a way as to ensure that there is a proper opportunity of coordination of the efforts of coast protection authorities and river boards because, as my hon. Friend the Member for Lowestoft (Mr. Edward Evans) rightly pointed out, it is vital that work in one section of the coast should not be done without the understanding of those responsible for other sections either to the north or south. On that understanding we give a limited welcome to the Amendment.

Amendment agreed to.

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