§ Mr. Mappasked the Minister of Transport how many pleasure cruising craft now operate on the proposed cruising waterways; what is the yearly revenue from such sources; and what is the annual costing, including overheads, for this form of usage.
§ Mr. John Morris:About 6,000 powered pleasure craft were licensed to use the British Waterways Board's system in 1966. These produced revenue for the Board of some £96,000. The Board's licence permits pleasure craft to use both the "cruising" and the "commercial" waterways. In their report "The Facts about the Waterways", the Waterways Board estimate that the additional cost of providing for powered pleasure craft on the cruising waterways, after taking revenue into account, is of the order of £340,000 a year, including overheads.
§ Mr. Mappasked the Minister of Transport if she will state for the latest available period the revenue derived on cruising waterways in respect of angling and canoeing; and how many users were involved.
§ Mr. John Morris:In 1966 revenue to the Waterways Board from anglers fishing waters within the Board's cruising licence totalled just under £21,000. It is not possible to say how many anglers use the nationalised waterways as the Board does not own the fishing rights over all of its system, and those it does own are usually leased to clubs, societies and federations rather than to individuals.
The Board's pleasure craft licence categories do not differentiate between canoes and other unpowered craft, but it is estimated that, in 1966, about 2,000 canoes 151W were licensed. The revenue to the Board from these amounted to some £4,500. No figures are available to show how many individuals used the licensed craft, which are often owned by schools, youth clubs and other similar organisations.
§ Mr. Mappasked the Minister of Transport how many additional cruising pleasure craft, canoe users and anglers are anticipated on the proposed cruising waterways during the first three years after her proposals take effect.
§ Mr. John Morris:The steady growth in leisure activities on the nationalised waterways in recent years should at least continue as a result of the increased interest in these activities which has followed the publication of the Government's new policy for the waterways. But present information does not allow any reliable forecasts to be made at this stage.