HC Deb 25 February 2003 vol 400 c447W
Mr. Liddell-Grainger

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what work has been done by the Environment Agency in Somerset on coastal erosion. [98280]

Mr. Morley

Maritime District Councils are empowered to carry out works in the management of coastal erosion by the Coast Protection Act 1949. The Environment Agency does not have responsibility for coastal erosion.

Mr. Liddell-Grainger

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding is being made available under the Government's financial statement 2003 for(a) West Somerset District Council and (b) Sedgemoor District Council for coastal erosion. [98281]

Mr. Morley

Grant aid is made available by DEFRA to support capital projects carried out by the maritime district councils to manage the risk from coastal erosion, provided they meet specified economic, technical and environmental criteria, are on the Department's forward capital programme and achieve the Department's threshold priority score. The total allocation for all authorities for coastal erosion works in 2003–04 is £35 million. Responsibility for deciding on which projects to promote and their timing rests with the councils. West Somerset District Council has an entry for a study on DEFRA's forward capital programme for 03–04 but Sedgemoor District Council has no entries.