CAMPAIGN WELCOMES SELECT COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO WATERWAYS
AND NEW EDM
“EXCELLENT NEWS” was the reaction of the BMF, IWA
and RYA in response to the news that the DEFRA Select Committee plans to hold
an Inquiry into Waterways early in the New Year. The news of the Select
Committee Inquiry came as leaders of the campaign against the cuts met
supportive MPs in the House of Commons at a meeting chaired by Bob Laxton MP,
chair of the Parliamentary Waterways Group.
It is understood that the Inquiry will look into a range of
issues affecting all waterways including those managed by Environment Agency.
The Inquiry presents the opportunity to make the wider case for our rivers and
canals set against the problems both agencies are facing due to the £200
million deficit in DEFRA finances.
IWA Chairman John Fletcher stated “It is to be hoped
that MPs will explore how the deficit originally arose, as ministers have given
different explanations in recent weeks. Was this, as I suspect, a panic struck
back of the envelope exercise, with waterways being a major loser? The Inquiry
will hopefully answer these and other questions such as what effect will the
cuts have upon our waterways?”
Neil Northmore, RYA Government Affairs Advisor, said
“MPs expressed concern that many of the government’s own wider
policies would be affected if these cuts continue. The cuts will impact upon
all beneficiaries and stakeholders of the waterways, and in particular the loss
of navigable waters will seriously affect participation in water based sports,
which are enjoyed by people of all ages and from all backgrounds.”
The campaign has so far been very successful in raising the
political profile of this very sensitive and important issue. An Early Day
Motion ‘EDM90’ (formerly EDM 2757), is sponsored by Charlotte Atkins
MP and has the support of 174 MPs from across the parties,. Many more MPs have
indicated their support while others have written to Defra ministers Barry
Gardiner and David Miliband.
Boating MP Des Turner has sponsored a new EDM (EDM 235)
concentrating on the Environment Agency and the effects of cuts on their
navigations and rivers.
The text reads: -
"That this House notes the
considerable boating activity that takes place on Environment Agency
navigations and rivers which provides essential leisure and sporting
benefits to people of all ages, backgrounds and economic levels; further notes
that the Government's social agenda and objectives on health, education and
social inclusion; further notes that by encouraging and promoting boating
activity on Environment Agency navigations the Government will go a long way
towards meeting its published aim of increasing the number of people
participating in healthy outdoor activity by one per cent. per year through to
the year 2030; further notes the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs has cut the Environment Agency's budget by approximately £14.9
million in the 2006-07 financial year and the significant adverse effect this
will have on the Environment Agency's ability to promote and maintain levels of
participation in water-based sport and club-based activities on its
navigations; and calls upon the Government to reinstate immediately funding for
the Environment Agency to ensure that participation in water-based sport and
recreation, particularly participation by young people, is not prejudiced but
is increased on Environment Agency navigations".
Howard Pridding, Executive Director of the British Marine
Federation said “It is clear that MPs are very concerned at the loss to
taxpayers from these cuts. Tens of millions of pounds have been invested in our
waterways in recent years and MPs expressed concern that the DEFRA imposed cuts
will result in many of these schemes declining. At the same time there is a
real threat that many major new regeneration schemes will fail to happen
leading to further costs to the Exchequer and to the detriment of millions of
people across the country. Ministers must wake up to this threat."
Ends
Notes to editors
The Select Committee will formerly announce its Inquiry in
the next few days and invite written submissions from interested persons.
Evidence sessions will then be held probably early in the New Year.
The organizations supporting the campaign will all be
submitting evidence and hope to be called to the public sessions.
Royal Yachting Association
- The RYA is the national body for all forms of
recreational and competitive boating. It represents dinghy and yacht racing,
motor and sail cruising, RIBs and sportsboats, powerboat racing, windsurfing,
inland cruising and personal watercraft.
- The RYA is recognised by all government offices as being
the negotiating body for the activities it represents. It continually fights
for the rights and freedoms of its 103,000 personal members, the majority of
whom choose to go afloat for purely recreational non-competitive pleasure on
coastal and inland waters. There are an estimated further 500,000 boat owners
nationally who are members of RYA affiliated clubs and class associations.
- The RYA also sets and maintains a recognised standard for
recreational boat training through a network of 2,220 RYA Recognised Training
Centres in 20 countries. On average 185,000 people per year complete RYA
training courses.
- The RYA is committed to promoting all forms of boating
and making them accessible to everyone. For more information please refer to
our web site www.rya.org.uk
- RYA Sailability is the leading UK charity for disabled
sailing and is the official charity of the RYA. Registered Charity Number:
1084351
- You can find the RYA at RYA House, Ensign Way, Hamble,
Southampton , SO31 4YA
The Inland Waterways Association (IWA).
- The Inland Waterways Association is a registered charity,
founded in 1946, which advocates the conservation, use, maintenance,
restoration and development of the inland waterways for public benefit. IWA has
about 18,000 members whose interests include boating, towing path walking,
industrial archaeology, nature conservation and many other activities
associated with the inland waterways. Information provided by 188 corporate
members with their own membership structures has revealed that they, in
themselves, have a combined membership of at least 59,500 in support of IWA's
voice.
- IWA works closely with navigation authorities, other
waterway bodies, a wide range of national and local authorities, voluntary,
private and public sector organisations to raise funds, lobby for support and
encourage public participation. The Association also supplies voluntary labour
through its subsidiary Waterway Recovery Group. More than 500 miles of canals
and navigable rivers have been re-opened to public use since the Association
was founded. Currently another 500 miles of derelict inland waterways are now
the subject of restoration plans.
British Marine Federation
- The British Marine Federation is the trade body for the
UK marine industry and represents the industry both domestically and abroad. It
has over 1,500 members, many of which are small businesses, which are drawn
from the seagoing and inland sectors covering the leisure boat, hire fleet,
commercial workboat and superyacht categories and supporting services. The BMF
works to promote boating and the boating industry to the public, government and
other stakeholders. Its subsidary, National Boat Shows, organises the London
and Southampton Boat Shows each January and September.
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