HC Deb 22 January 1998 vol 304 c674W
Mr. Blizzard

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department has evaluated regarding the effect of offshore dredging for aggregates on sea defences and coastal erosion. [23699]

Mr. Morley

Licences for the extraction of marine aggregates are granted by the Crown Estate only if there has been a favourable response under the Government View Procedure, co-ordinated by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. In contributing to the Government View, this Department takes account of studies undertaken by independent experts for each licence application to assess the potential impact on the coastline.