§ 134. Mr. Dalyellasked the Minister of Transport what estimate she has made of the cost of closing down all canals in Great Britain; and what estimate she has made of the cost of developing canals for recreational and sporting purposes.
§ Mr. John MorrisThe best available figures are those given by the British Waterways Board, who control most of the canal and river navigations in Great Britain; only a small part of this system is now of any significance for commercial transport. In their report, "The Facts about the Waterways", the Board have estimated that the inescapable minimum cost of dealing with the rest of the system is of the order of £600,000 per annum at present prices. This would involve reducing the canals to water channels, or eliminating them completely, whichever was found to be cheaper, in each case. Water channels would continue to provide such amenities as angling, and towpath rambling and could be used by light unpowered craft such as canoes. The additional cost of keeping open, for use by powered pleasure craft, those waterways that are available for this purpose at present, is estimated at £340,000 per annum at present prices.