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Publication Date: 17 May 2007
The Inland Waterways Association (IWA), continues to lead on making representations to the Minister on behalf of all waterway users, and is currently the only waterways organisation to retain the services of a parliamentary advisor for this work.
IWA chairman John Fletcher met the Waterways Minister, Barry Gardiner, in his office on 14th May when the opportunity was taken to present the Save Our Waterways petition with Will Chapman, founder of the Save our Waterways campaign group.
The meeting was arranged with Charlotte Atkins MP (Labour Staffordshire Moorlands) who was accompanied by Tony Baldry MP (Conservative Banbury) and Chris Huhne MP (Liberal Democrat Eastleigh).
In a courteous but robust meeting, the Minister, attempted to maintain his position relating to Government’s previous investment in the network and maintenance backlog, but was firmly persuaded by IWA to move to consider the future. The Minister continued allegations against British Waterways about its lack of transparency stating that “There may be more underlying maintenance issues not yet identified.”
The Minister went on to challenge IWA national chairman John Fletcher whether he would expect the Minister to make forward planning decisions with a lack of clarity about the outputs to which British Waterways was committed. IWA countered by stating that it was concerned that an alleged miscommunication had continued for so long, whatever the cause, but that it was not in a position to judge the relative contributors to that miscommunication.
The Minister eventually agreed that the Grant in Aid investment needed clear outputs, and further agreed that those outputs would be wider than the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs remit, but that he had to take an ‘over Government’ view. From his failure to comment on studies to quantify ‘other outputs’ it was assumed by those present that some sort of study may be underway.
The Inland Waterways Association hopes that as a result of the meeting the Minister will realise that stakeholders in the inland waterways do have a part to play in shaping future policy and contributing to the architecture of strategies to relieve the current funding difficulties.
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For further information please contact:
Jo Gilbertson, IWA campaign co-ordinator Tel: 01923 711 114 ext 31
John Fletcher, IWA national chairman Tel. 01204 844671
Note to Editors:
IWA members and local branches together with other waterways supporters set up a series of blockades to protest about the cuts in Grant Aid to navigation authorities in 2006 and IWA pressure has continued into this year. A campaign cruise past Parliament was organised in January 2007. IWA in conjunction with the British Marine Federation arranged a media and hospitality boat, which generated huge national publicity and media as well as parliamentary goodwill.
Additional Waterways Community Days were held in March 2007. The campaign has certainly caught the attention of Government and the media. Relevant Early Day Motions and three highly successful Adjournment Debates came about as a result of the influence of IWA’s parliamentary advisor, and as a result of IWA members lobbying MPs. This has ensured that that the waterways agenda is firmly understood and has been kept alive with MPs, Government and the public.
IWA appointed Ms Candy Atherton as its parliamentary advisor earlier this year. Candy Atherton was a former Labour MP for Falmouth (1997– 2005) and is a keen boater with a background in journalism.
The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) 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 over 18,000 members whose interests include boating, towing path walking, industrial archaeology, nature conservation and many other activities associated with the inland waterways. Additional corporate members raise the combined “voice” of the IWA to over 60,000.
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.
