To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research her Department has commissioned on the relative costs of mineral extraction from (a) land and (b) marine sources in the last five years. (185231)

My Department has commissioned no direct work on the relative economic or environmental costs of minerals extraction from land and marine sources in the last five years.

However DEFRA is funding a study to investigate the feasibility of assessing the relative impacts of exploitation of marine and land sand and gravel reserves. The study is due to be completed in March 2008. The project is funded through the Marine Environment Protection Fund, and administered by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.