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

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have carried out an environmental impact assessment of the current dredging of the channel at the Port of Ramsgate; if so, whether, and when, the Environment Agency evaluated and accepted that impact assessment; and when approval was given for the dredging to begin.

The Environment Agency was consulted by the Marine Management Organisation on the application from Ramsgate Royal Harbour for the current dredging project at the Port of Ramsgate, on the 10 December 2015.

The application included an environmental impact assessment and the Environment Agency submitted comments on the 22 December 2015.

The Environment Agency accepted the proposal with the condition that material deposited within European Union bathing waters is only deposited outside the European Union bathing season.

The dredging activity does not put at risk the Water Framework Directive, therefore there is not a significant risk to the environment.

Permission was given for the activity by the Marine Management Organisation on the 29 March 2016.