§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken to assess the impact of global warming on British agriculture; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryMy Department is aiming to fund research to identify the sensitivity of key sectors of British agriculture to variations in climate so that when regional112W climate change forecasts become available, an assessment of the impact can be made. In addition my Department is involved in research to monitor sea level trends and last year about half of the budget for river and coastal engineering research was spent on projects designed to provide a better understanding of the coastal environment and add to the knowledge needed for improving coastal defences.