HC Deb 28 July 1976 vol 916 c265W
Mr. Knox

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional mileage of canals has become available for leisure activities in the past year.

Mr. Denis Howell

Virtually all canals are used for some form of leisure activity. Restoration of any waterway can only enable it to be used more intensively than before, for example, by providing for navigation by powered craft on water previously used for, say, rowing and fishing. I understand that in the past year a total of 10 miles of the British Waterways Board's remainder canals was opened for navigation by pleasure craft.