§ 63. Mr. Andrew MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will indicate the level by which the seas around Britain could rise if nothing is done about the greenhouse effect; and what effect this would have on the adequacy of the United Kingdom's sea defences.
§ Mr. RyderThere are a wide range of predictions about the rise in mean sea level that could take place, but given the many uncertainties it is not realistic to make firm assessments of the implications for our sea defences.
We are monitoring the position carefully and will take account of the results of current research programmes as they become available.