asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that vessels over 10,000 dwt can continue to use the ports of the Severn estuary for the foreseeable future.

If it is eventually decided to construct a Severn barrage, then the capacity of the locks built into it would determine the size of vessels that could use the ports above the barrage line. On this point, I have nothing to add to the answer I gave my hon. Friend on 1 December 1986 at column 502. I am aware of no other foreseeable new restriction on access to ports in the estuary.