§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what quantity of potatoes in weight and percentage terms of the United Kingdom market are imported(a) in total and (b) in processed form.
§ Mr. CurryPotato imports into the United Kingdom over the past five years were:
(2) if he will set out the method of analysis his Ministry is applying in attempting to calculate the economic benefits which would arise from preventing futher erosion of the Naze at Walton-on-the-Naze.
§ Mr. CurryCoast protection authorities are responsible for estimating the costs and benefits of proposed coastal works which are put to the Department for approval and for grant aid, in conformity with project appraisal guidance issued by the Department. In the case of Walton-on-the-Naze, it is for Tendring district council, the responsible authority, to assess relevant costs and benefits. The Department will then consider whether the proposal is economically worthwhile, using best available techniques for quantification of the expected benefits from the scheme.
§ Mr. SproatTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) on how many occasions in the last two years Ministers from his Ministry have visited the Naze at Walton-on-the-Naze;
(2) if he will list the meetings which his Ministry has had and the bodies concerned, over the last two years, on the subject of the erosion of the Naze at Walton-on-the-Naze.
§ Mr. CurryMinisters from the Department have not visited the Naze in an official capacity in the past two 81W years. During that period Ministry officials have met representatives of Tendring district council on five occasions.
§ Mr. SproatTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has about the extent to which the Naze at Walton-on-the-Naze has eroded over the last 12 months.
§ Mr. CurryErosion at the Naze is being monitored by Tendring district council, the responsible coast protection authority. Their latest report is that on average some 1.76 metres has been eroded along the length of the Naze in the past 12 months.
The rate of future erosion will depend upon weather, wave and ground conditions and so cannot be predicted with certainty. Current estimates are that if no further coast protection works are carried out, the Naze tower will probably be lost in around 26 to 30 years time. Tendring district council has submitted a proposal to the Department for approval and for grant aid for works which would slow the rate of erosion at this site and so could delay loss of the tower until around 40 to 50 years from now.