British Waterways Board (Hansard, 4 April 1979)

§ 2. Mr. Stephen Ross
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when next he expects to meet the chairman of the British Waterways Board.

§ 22. Mr. Sever
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when next he expects to meet the chairman of the British Waterways Board.

§ The Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. Peter Shore)
I expect to see the chairman of the British Waterways Board during the next few weeks.

§ Mr. Ross
Will the Secretary of State draw the attention of the chairman of the British Waterways Board to the need for urgent repairs to be carried out to the canal system which has been languishing untended for some months due to an industrial dispute? Is he aware of the number of tunnels and canals that are closed because of the dispute? Can he give some reassurance to the House that the many people who take their holidays on the canals will be able to use most of them during the summer season?

§ Mr. Shore
I am well aware of the problem to which the hon. Gentleman refers. There are two aspects of the matter. One is the disruption to the canal system following the industrial action, which is most unusual in the canal industry, during the weeks over the Christmas period. That ended, I am glad to say, at the end of February. I understand that a great deal of work is being done. I hope that most of the 1292 routine maintenance will be completed shortly. The second and longer-term problem, as the hon. Gentleman knows, is the carrying out of the Fraenkel Committee's recommendations. We have that in hand.

§ Mr. Spearing
Will my right hon. Friend confirm that it is the Government's view that not only is the canal network part of the national heritage but that it fulfils an important drainage function? When he sees the chairman of the British Waterways Board, will he be able to give him more information on the programme for the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation? Does he agree that what is proposed shows the enlightened view of Her Majesty's Government and that it is a good signpost for future policy?

§ Mr. Shore
Yes. I shall want to discuss those matters with the chairman. As my hon. Friend rightly points out, the canals have many roles to fulfil. Undoubtedly, one is recreation. Another is the movement of water to different parts of the country. Thirdly, there is the freight function. I am glad to have been able to give the go-ahead to the first commercial development of any major kind in the canal system in the South Yorkshire canal.

§ Mr. Hal Miller
In view of the replies that the Secretary of State has given me about the lengths of canal that will be shut this summer, will he discuss with the chairman of the Board the position with regard to the mooring and navigation licences of those boats which will be unable to use the canals because they will be closed all summer? Will he also discuss the interests of commercial organisations which are unable to do business because of these closures?

§ Mr. Shore
Yes. I shall look into those questions. There have been some unfortunate tunnel collapses and they have to be dealt with in the most rapid way possible. I take a cautiously optimistic view. The situation looked much grimmer two months ago, and I believe that a good deal of the backlog can be cleared.