HC Deb 14 July 1998 vol 316 c161W
Mr. Syms

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reasons underlay the further rise in the cost of licence fees for sea disposal of dredged material in England and Wales. [49867]

Mr. Morley

Licence fees for the sea disposal of dredged material are set to recover the costs of operating the licensing system. These costs include the monitoring of selected disposal sites. As the dumping of sewage sludge will cease at the end of 1998, the full cost of such monitoring must now be met from licence charges for the disposal of dredged material.

Mr. Syms

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment the Government have made of the potential effect on the UK ports industry of the rise in the cost of licence fees for sea disposal of dredged material. [49868]

Mr. Morley

The Government have made no detailed assessment of the impact on the ports industry of the rise in the cost of disposal licence fees. Generally, licence fees represent a very small proportion of the cost of the associated dredging operation.