§ 2.32 p.m.
§ THE EARL OF ALBEMARLEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will empower, by ministerial order or otherwise, the Waterways Board to lease or sell lengths of waterway, either to river authorities for the supply of water, or to rating authorities for the benefit of local amenities.]
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, I think these matters can best be considered when the British Waterways Board have completed the further studies and consultations proposed in their recent Interim Report, The Future of the Waterways.
§ THE EARL OF ALBEMARLEMy Lords, while thanking the noble Earl for that Answer, may I ask one supplementary? Does the Minister not think that, since the main instruction to the Waterways Board was to cut down annual deficit with least delay, it might be more profitable to get in touch with those local authorities mentioned in the Question as to any waterway which they required and to negotiate the matter with them, rather than embark on a lengthy, expensive engineering survey of the network of canals, which have 870 already been reported on by the Board of Survey in 1961?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, with regard to the supplementary question which my noble friend has just asked, the object of the British Waterways Board is to try to get as conclusive a picture as possible before making decisions which may possibly become irrevocable. That is the reason why they want to make a full and detailed study of the Report. After that it will be possible to make a decision.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, would the noble Earl take into account the potential use of these waterways for holiday purposes, in which local authorities will be very much interested; and will the noble Earl, through his Ministry, ensure that consultations will take place for the development of such waterways for the general amenity of the public?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, all these points are, of course, being taken into account by the British Waterways Board. That is the reason why it is taking a trifle longer than some noble Lords might wish for it to come to a conclusion.
VISCOUNT ST. DAVIDSMy Lords, will the noble Earl not agree that the British Waterways Board have declared themselves in favour of multi-purpose use of these waterways; that is to say, use for all possible purposes, and that therefore, they should be left to study this?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, the noble Lord ended by saying, "therefore, they should be left to study this". That, of course, is what they are doing.
§ THE EARL OF ALBEMARLEMy Lords, if I may ask one final question, is the noble Earl not aware that the Interim Report itself supposes that for the narrow boat system to "break even" is surely a delusion? Without expensive repair, the system will deteriorate beyond recovery.
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, I am not quite clear from my noble friend what the question is. If he is asking whether I am aware that that is what the Report says, I am bound to say that I am.