Sea Defences and Land Drainage (Hansard, 20 November 1985)

§ Mr. Colin Shepherd
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the organisations which submitted comments on the Green Paper on land drainage; how many of these express the opinion that the sea defences of the United Kingdom coastline should be a national responsibility; and if he will make a statement on future policy in this area in the light of the opinions submitted.

§ Mrs. Fenner
The organisations and individuals who submitted comments on the Green Paper are listed below. Thirty-two of these submissions (19 per cent.) expressed the opinion that sea defences and other coastal works should be treated as a national responsibility. The comments are still under consideration and no decisions on future policy have as yet been made.
Comments submitted by:

Alford drainage board

Allerdale district council

Anglian water authority

Anglian water authority (regional land drainage committee)

Anglian water authority (Great Ouse local land drainage committee)

Anglian water authority (Oundle division local land drainage committee)

Association of British Insurers

Association of Chief Technical Officers

Association of County Councils

Association of District Councils (London branch)

Association of District Councils (North Yorkshire branch)

Association of Drainage Authorities (River Ouse branch)

Association of Drainage Authorities (HQ)

Association of Metropolitan District Engineers

Barrow in Furness borough council

Basingstoke and Deane borough council

Beverley borough council

Black Sluice internal drainage board

Boothferry borough council

Borough Engineers Society

Boston borough council
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Brecon Beacons national park

Brighton borough council

British Ports Association

British Resorts Association

British Waterways Board

Broads Authority (Norfolk and Suffolk)

Calderdale metropolitan borough council

Caldicott and Wentlooge Levels internal drainage board

Canterbury city council

Central Electricity Generating Board

Claro internal drainage board

Cod Beck internal drainage board

Confederation of British Industry

Construction Industry, Research and Information Association

Copeland borough council

Cotswold district council

Council for Protection of Rural England

Councillor D. Longden (South Glamorgan)

Country Landowners Association

Countryside Commission

The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

Dearne and Dove internal drainage board

C. H. Dobbie and Partners

Dudley metropolitan borough council

Dun Drainage Commissioners

Dyfed Confederation of Women's Institute

Dyfed county council

Easington district council

Eastleigh borough council

Erewash borough council

Essex county council

Everton internal drainage board

Farmers Union of Wales

Nigel Finch

Forest of Dean district council

Garthorpe internal drainage board

Gedling borough council

Glanford borough council

Greater London council

Hampshire county council

Hart district council

Hastings borough council

Havant borough council

Havering borough council

J. P. Hitchenor

Mr. J. Holdstock

The House Builders Federation

N. C. F. Howell

Institute of Biology

Institute of Oceanographic Science

Institution of Civil Engineers

Institution of Civil Engineers (Association of Municipal Engineers)

Institution of Professional Civil Servants

Institution of Water Engineers and Scientists

Isle of Anglesey borough council

Kent Technical Officers Association

Kings Lynn and West Norfolk borough council

Laneham internal drainage board

Leicester city council

Leominster district council

Lewis and Duvivier (consulting engineers)

Liverpool city council

Louth Internal drainage board

Lower Medway internal drainage board

Lower Wye internal drainage board

Ludham parish council

Messingham internal drainage board

Merton London borough council

Mid Bedfordshire district council

Midlands and Western regional panel (MAFF)

L. J. A. Munro

National Anglers Council

National Association of Land Drainage Committees

National and Local Government Officers Association

National Farmers Union

National Farmers Union (Wales)

National Trust
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Nature Conservancy Council

New Forest district council

Nicholson Cadge and Gilbert, Solicitors

Norfolk county council

Northavon district council

North Dorset district council

North Tyneside metropolitan district council

Northumbrian water authority (regional land drainage committee)

North Wales Provincial Councils for Local Authority Services

North West water authority

Newark Area internal drainage board

Portsmouth city council

Powysland internal drainage board

Preseli district council

Councillor D. Pye (Cambridgeshire)

Ramsey 4th internal drainage board

River Lugg internal drainage board

Royal Society for Nature Conservation

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Rushcliffe borough council

Scarborough borough council

Severn Trent water authority

Sheffield metropolitan district council

Shrewsbury and Atcham borough council

Shropshire county council

Solent Protection Society

Somerset county council

Somerset Trust for Nature Conservation

Southern water authority

Southern water authority (local land drainage committee)

South Derbyshire district council

South Glamorgan county council

Southampton civic center

South Holland district council

South Holland internal drainage board

South Norfolk district council

South Somerset district council

South West water authority

South West water authority (regional land drainage committee)

South Yorkshire county council

Staffordshire county council

Strine internal drainage board

Suffolk coastal district council

Swale borough council

Thames water authority (and regional land drainage committee)

Tickhill drainage board

Tonbridge and Mailing borough council

Peter Tyas

Wakefield City metropolitan borough council

Warwickshire county council

Neville Waters (Usk local land drainage committee)

Welland and Deepings internal drainage board

Welsh Anglers Council

Welsh Counties Committee

Welsh water authority

Went internal drainage board

Wessex water authority

Wessex water authority (regional land drainage committee)

West Devon borough council

West Dorset district council

West Oxfordshire district council

West Yorkshire metropolitan county council

Wight coastal protection society

Wirral metropolitan borough council

Witham Third internal drainage board

Wokingham district council

Worthing borough council

Wyre Forest district council

Water Authorities Association

Yorkshire Water Authority (and regional land drainage committee)

York city council

§ Mr. Colin Shepherd
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes 226W to take in respect of United Kingdom sea defences and land drainage under the grant-aiding powers currently available.

§ Mrs. Fenner
Our powers under the Land Drainage Act 1976 to grant aid land drainage and sea defence capital works are permissive. It is for drainage authorities to put forward schemes that can be considered for grant. The financing and administration of sea defence and land drainage is currently under review following the publication of our Green Paper last March.