The APPG brings together Parliamentarians with a particular interest in inland waterways, and has followed our development closely. On 21 July it took evidence from waterways minister Dan Rogerson, the chair and chief executive of the Trust, the chief executive of the Environment Agency, representatives of the Inland Waterways Association and Canoe England, and written submissions from other stakeholders.
The report covered a range of issues, from the Government's proposed transfer of the Environment Agency's navigations to the Trust, to funding, volunteering and moorings.
Proud of our progress
Tony Hales, chairman of the Canal & River Trust, welcomed the report saying: “The Trust is now just over two years old and it's great to get independent Parliamentary validation for our efforts. We are proud of the progress we have made in such a short period but we're not resting on our laurels.”
Richard Parry, chief executive at the Canal & River Trust, added: “We welcome the suggestion that we, the Environment Agency and Defra work together to investigate the implications of transferring the Environment Agency navigations to the Trust, and remain committed in principle to the transfer subject to this due diligence being carried out. We are also committed to continuing to grow our base of dedicated volunteers, and increasing the diversity of our volunteer and support base. We are actively working to generate new income streams to support our work, and we are also pleased that the report acknowledges the work we are doing with stakeholders to tackle some of the historic issues around moorings.
“As the report highlights there are more opportunities for us in the future and we are determined to make sure that our waterways continue to play an important role in the lives of the millions of people who use and visit them each year. In the meantime we will study the report and consider how to address its recommendations in detail.”
