Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council

HL Deb 11 January 2005 vol 668 cc56-7WA

Lord Marlesford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they expect to make a formal announcement on the future of the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council; and when they expect the council to be operating as an independent body. [HL528]

Lord Whitty

As has previously been made clear, Ministers have decided that the Inland Waterways Amenity Advisory Council's administrative ties with British Waterways should be severed and that the council should be reconstituted as an independent body reporting to and supported by government. The main role of the new council will be to provide a source of strategic advice to government, navigation authorities and other waterway bodies about the inland waterways generally.

The Government now plan to use the proposed Modernising Rural Delivery Bill to provide the legislative changes necessary to implement these decisions and will make a more detailed announcement when the draft Bill is published. The changes would take effect early in 2007.