The letter reads: “As we approach the government’s first 100 days in office I thought I’d let your readers know what the coalition has done to reverse the [...]]]> MP for Beverley and Holderness, Graham Stuart, has written to newspapers in the East Riding outlining the work the new Government has done to promote and protect business.

The letter reads: “As we approach the government’s first 100 days in office I thought I’d let your readers know what the coalition has done to reverse the rise in unemployment left by Labour particularly by support for smaller businesses.

“First off we’ve moved to stop tax rises on small and medium sized (SME) businesses.

“The previous Government wanted to hit SMEs with a tax hike on both the small profits rate and National Insurance Contributions (NICs). Instead this Government will reduce the small profits rate to 20%, instead of the last Government’s planned increase to 22%, from April 2011 and reverse the planned increase in National Insurance Contributions.

“Indeed the threshold for employer NICs will rise by £21, above indexation. This will increase the number of employees for whom employers pay no NICs by 650,000.

“Finally there will be a review of small business taxation, including IR35 regulations, to create a simpler, more predictable tax regime.

“Red tape and over regulation will also be peeled away to allow business to flourish. The most obvious way this will be done is by introducing a system of regulation control whereby Ministers must first show how they will reduce the existing burden of regulation before bringing forward new regulations.

“Alongside this will be a review of all regulations the last Government scheduled for introduction over the coming year.

“There will be help for new firms. For the next three years new businesses in Yorkshire will not have to pay the first £5,000 of class 1 national insurance contributions in the first year that they employ someone. This will encourage new jobs and new businesses.

“Rules will also be relaxed to allow social tenants to start their own businesses at home.

“There will be better access to funding with the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) increased by £200 million to support £700 million of additional lending until 31 March 2011.

“And a Growth Capital Fund is being created to support established businesses wanting to invest for the future.

“Together these measures represent positive action which will help the bottom line of small and medium-sized businesses across the country and across Yorkshire.

“Despite the disastrous inheritance left by Labour even the first 100 days have seen positive action to get Britain working again and make sure more people in Yorkshire have a job and a positive future.”

 A special page has been set up on this site allowing constituents who feel they can do a little more than simply vote to take an active part in [...]]]>

With a General Election just weeks away Graham Stuart is calling for any constituents who feel they can help his re-election campaign to sign up as volunteers.

 A special page has been set up on this site allowing constituents who feel they can do a little more than simply vote to take an active part in the campaign.

Graham said: “It is vital we all do as much as we can to make sure this country is not forced to endure another day of Labour rule, another day of mismanagement or another day of top down government which ignores the wishes of the people.

 ”Every little bit helps and I would love to hear from anyone who is willing to deliver a few leaflets, put up a poster or perhaps even come out canvassing with me during the campaign.”

 If you can give more than just your vote then please click here.

Following an Adjournment Debate at the House of Commons on off-shore dredging, led by Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart, a government minister has answered a series of questions.

Graham called for the debate after being contacted by constituents who believe off-shore dredging is causing coastal erosion to speed up.

The debate, on December 1, [...]]]>

Holderness coast

Following an Adjournment Debate at the House of Commons on off-shore dredging, led by Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart, a government minister has answered a series of questions.

Graham called for the debate after being contacted by constituents who believe off-shore dredging is causing coastal erosion to speed up.

The debate, on December 1, saw Graham calling on the Government to commission more detailed research into possible links between the removal of aggregates from the seabed and erosion along the Holderness coast.

While Huw Irranca-Davies, Minister for the Natural and Marine Environment, declined to launch further research he did promise to get back to Graham with more detail on what research has already been carried out.

His letter said: “During the adjournment debate on the ‘Effect on coastal erosion of off-shore dredging’ on 1st December I promised to write to you with further information on points that were raised about the research evidence base and the approach taken to the licensing, monitoring and enforcement of aggregates dredging. 

There is a substantial body of independent research. In particular, reports looking at sediment transport (and therefore addressing potential erosion from aggregates extraction) have been commissioned by local authorities, the Crown Estate and others.

 The Southern North Sea Sediment transport study (www.sns2.org) specifically looked at whether dredging was contributing to coastal erosion. In relation to Holderness it found that “Dredging areas adjacent to the Humber are to the east of the main sediment Pathway” and “Dredging activities are well outside this principal sediment stream” (see section 6.1.3 of the main report).

The South Coast Sediment Mobility Study (www.thecrownestate.co.uk/mrf aggregates) reported that “Dredging such material from the seafloor is thus unlikely to damage the coast by interrupting an onshore supply”.

Summarising the work, Sue Gubbay (2005) concluded that “Examples of research projects on this topic include the southern North Sea Sediment Transport Studies, the South Coast Seabed Mobility Study and the Inshore Seabed Characterisation Project. None of these studies have concluded that current marine aggregate extraction is influencing coastal erosion however, given concerns and the potential significance of any such effects, it is important that this type of investigation remains a key consideration in the consenting process”.

In addition, along each coastline, Shoreline Management Plans (see www.hecagsmp2.co.uk for the region from Flamborough Head to Gibraltar Point) will assess any impacts from aggregate extraction.

On the second point, about licensing, monitoring and enforcement, I can assure you that there are rigorous requirements to assess any impacts, from initial modelling and assessments of environmental impact to routine monitoring.

Current licensing regimes for the aggregate dredging industry exist to protect the marine environment from detrimental effects and must be adhered to in all cases. Any application must, therefore, contain sufficient data on which to base an informed decision, and a number of studies including an Environmental Impact Assessment and Coastal Impact Study are normally undertaken to support the dredging application.

The Coastal Impact Studies are carried out on a “worst case scenario”, and include information on wave modelling, sediment transport and an assessment of the possibility of adverse effects on the coastline. They are subject to scrutiny by the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA), its technical advisors and statutory consultees.

Until this information is provided, consent cannot be granted. Further work is also underway to bring the Coastal Impact Studies together in a more holistic way in Marine Aggregates Regional Environment Assessments for Norfolk/Suffolk and for the Humber area.

After a dredging permission has been granted, the operator must carry out surveys to characterise the seabed prior to commencement of dredging. This is often referred to as a “baseline” survey, as it provides a point of reference and comparison for the analysis of impacts once dredging is in operation.

Once the surveys are completed, a “Pre-Dredge Report” is submitted to the MFA, and is circulated to key consultant bodies (including Natural England, English Heritage, Maritime and Coastguard Agency) and the Government’s scientific advisor, Cefas, for comment.

Dredging cannot commence until approval has been given by the MFA on behalf of the Secretary of State.

All new permissions granted on the East Coast, require operators to follow the ‘Marine Aggregate Extraction and the Fishing Industry – East Coast Operational Code of Practice’.

This Code of Practice encourages liaison between the dredging companies and local fishermen, and requires that at least one week’s notice be given when dredging is due to commence.

A Schedule of Conditions is attached to dredging permissions. These may include restrictions on the zones within the area where dredging may be carried out, information on any seasonal restriction on dredging (such as to coincide with fish spawning seasons) and the maximum tonnage allowed. All operators are required to report the annual tonnage landed to both the MFA and the Crown Estate.

As part of the Schedule of Conditions attached to each dredging permission, operators are required to carry out environmental monitoring whilst dredging is in operation, and after it has ceased, to monitor seabed recovery. Bathymetric surveys, which assess the topography of the seabed using Multi-beam sonar systems, are generally carried out every two years, whereas others such as resource surveys (monitoring amount of aggregate left on the seabed) are required every four years. 

Coastal Processes monitoring and particularly sediment transport are a key part of the pre-dredge and operational licence conditions and use tracer studies and sidescan sonar techniques to analyse the movement of sediment on the seabed by wave and tidal forces. 

This is in addition to the wave modelling carried out in the Coastal Impact Study. These surveys are usually carried out bi-annually in the first five years of dredging, with the option to review the frequency after five years if necessary. 

A review of all monitoring data is carried out by the MFA and its scientific advisors at five and ten-year intervals and conditions can be added, removed or varied if necessary.

Dredging can be suspended at any time should the MFA believe that unpredicted significant environmental impacts have occurred. 

In addition to the monitoring requirements, the 2007 Marine Minerals Regulations also require dredgers to be fitted with an Environmental Monitoring System (EMS), which plots the course of the vessel whilst dredging is in operation. The MFA and Cefas monitor these data, and operators are liable to pay a fine or even face prosecution should their vessel dredge outside of the licensed area, or in an exclusion zone. 

For your information I have included a copy of the Schedule of Conditions for Area 480 (South East of the Humber Estuary), which was attached to the dredging permission issued to Hanson Aggregate Marine Ltd in May 2008. This sets out in detail the conditions imposed on this particular area, though many of them are general and are applied to all areas. All new dredging permissions and related documents are published on the MFA website and can be downloaded here.