§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many companies are involved in recovering aggregates (a) within territorial waters and (b) from the United Kingdom continental shelf.
§ Mr. Marks:The information is not available in the form suggested as no comprehensive central record of aggregate extraction is maintained. However, all but a small proportion of the aggregates recovered from United Kingdom waters comes from areas under the jurisdiction of the Crown Estates Commissioners and their records show that 11 companies currently have licences for aggregate extraction within territorial waters and four more have licences for extraction on the United Kingdom continental shelf.
A further six companies have licences for dredging both in territorial waters and on the United Kingdom continental shelf.