HC Deb 31 March 1998 vol 309 cc1017-8
1. Mr. Bayley

What action the Government are taking to reduce the amount of gravel and sand dredged from river beds in environmentally sensitive areas. [35440]

The Minister for the Regions, Regeneration and Planning (Mr. Richard Caborn)

The Environment Act 1995 requires all mineral permissions to be reviewed and conditions to be approved by the mineral planning authority. It is for the mineral planning authority—in my hon. Friend's case, North Yorkshire—to determine what new conditions are appropriate in the circumstances of any particular case.

Mr. Bayley

Is my hon. Friend aware of the concern in York and North Yorkshire about mineral planning authorities' inability, because of the high cost of compensation, to revoke permissions given way back in the 1950s to dredge in a way that would these days be regarded as environmentally unsatisfactory? Is the Chancellor of the Exchequer still considering, as he said he was in his May Budget, a review of the fiscal terms applicable to mineral extraction? Will my hon. Friend examine the law in Germany which, with regard to peat extraction, when a planning permission is revoked, limits compensation to the cost of the investment that the landowner has made in the site and does not relate it to the loss of extraction—unlike a revocation of planning permission in this country?

Mr. Caborn

It is true that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor is reviewing aggregate taxes, as he made clear in his statement on the Budget. In addition, North Yorkshire still has under review the appraisal of the mineral extraction in the case to which my hon. Friend refers.

Mr. Ian Bruce

I am sure that the Minister realises the importance of the question asked by the hon. Member for City of York (Mr. Bayley), especially in relation to the fiscal regime. If the Chancellor decides to tax digging aggregates out of holes, that will surely put greater pressure on river bed and sea bed extraction and make it cheaper to import aggregates. Will the Minister please make vigorous representations to the Chancellor to examine carefully what could be a disastrous policy for the United Kingdom aggregates industry?

Mr. Caborn

As I said, further research is being undertaken into mineral taxes. I have no doubt that the point made by the hon. Gentleman will be factored into my right hon. Friend the Chancellor's thinking before he makes a decision.