Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Coastal Protection Act 1949 on reducing the level of coastal erosion.

Coastal erosion is a natural process that always has and will shape our coastline. The 1949 Act granted powers to coastal protection authorities to help them manage these changes. It has been regularly updated since its inception to reflect changes in complementary legislation.

District councils, acting as Coastal Protection Authorities under this act, have since 1996 collaborated locally with a range of other interested parties, to develop 22 Shoreline Management Plans covering the coast of England and Wales.

The Environment Agency has strategic oversight for the production and quality control of Shoreline management plans. Over the next three years it will be funding a refresh of the plans by coastal authorities.