To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2007, Official Report, columns 303-04W, on flood defences, what the cost was at today’s prices of building coastal defences at (a) Sizewell and (b) Dungeness nuclear sites. (111348)

The nuclear sites at Sizewell and Dungeness utilise soft-shore flood defences. The initial cost of establishing these structures was only a minor component of landscaping the site frontages after construction.

The cost of maintaining flood protection works at Dungeness has been approximately £140,000 per annum in 2006 terms, with £100,000 of this being for the maintenance of the shingle recycling procedure there. The remainder is for associated surveillance, engineering and geomorphological advice which is led by BE on behalf of both station operators (BE and NDA/Magnox). The costs are apportioned between the two parties under the terms of a cross-company contract.

At Sizewell there has been no need for engineering maintenance activities to date. The cost of surveillance and geomorphological and engineering advice over this period has been approximately £30,000 per annum in 2006 terms. BE lead on behalf of both operators with costs again apportioned under a cross-company contract.