§ 29. Mr. RaynsfordTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the land area in England which is at risk of temporary or permanent flooding in consequence of high tides and the erosion of coastal defences.
§ Mr. GummerIt is generally considered that land lying below the 5 m Ordnance Survey contour is most vulnerable and there is some 8,000 sq km of such land in England and Wales.
However, not all such land is at similar risk of flooding, and in these and many other areas the risk of flooding or erosion is reduced by defence works which have been carried out with the assistance of grant aid provided by my Department, now running at some £60 million annually.