§ Mr. Moateasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress which has been made in respect of a national policy for the use of inland waterways for commercial transport, as provided for in section 13 of the Transport Act 1978.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWithin our general policy that there should be fair competition between alternative modes of transport, we will consider proposals for the improvement of inland waterways for commercial transport purposes, and paticularly proposals involving joint ventures with the private sector on the British Waterways Board's network. The viability of any proposal would need to be justified by investment appraisal or cost—benefit study, on the lines of those adopted for the Sheffield and south Yorkshire navigation improvement scheme, which was opened on 1 June, and on the first approval of grant under section 36 of the Transport Act 1981, announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 27 June.