§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the tonnages of marine aggregates he expects to be extracted from the North sea for road and house building until 2000; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir Paul Beresford[holding answer 20 February 1995]: We have made no estimate of tonnages to be extracted. However, minerals planning guidance note 6, issued by the Department in April last year, contains the Government's guidance on aggregates provision in England up to 2006. It advises minerals planning authorities to assume that a total of 315 million tonnes of marine dredged aggregates will be contributed to construction industry needs, mainly in cement manufacture, over the period.
The extraction of marine aggregates is licensed by the Crown Estate and I understand that there are 57 current licences for dredging in the North sea, including the Thames estuary, permitting the extraction of up to 23.7 million tonnes per annum. The amount actually dredged depends of course on the market.