Boaters invited to submit evidence to inquiry into DEFRA and the waterways
All boaters concerned about the cuts in funding imposed on British Waterways by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have been invited to submit evidence to a parliamentary select sub-committee.
The sub-committee is part of a wide-ranging investigation into the state of DEFRA by the Environment Food & Rural Affairs Select Committee (EFRA).
The hearings will take place at the National Waterways Museum in Gloucester on 16 April. Anyone wishing to take part is asked to submit a short written submission to the inquiry by 15 March.
Areas the committee is interested in include:
? current users of the waterway network and their relationships with British Waterways
? the financial framework of British Waterways and the impact of changes in DEFRA’s budget
? recent developments in the stewardship work and commercial activities of British Waterways, including its property portfolio
? potential for growth in leisure and freight use of the waterways network
? relationships between British Waterways and central Government departments, Regional Development Agencies and local authorities.
If you think you can contribute to the inquiry, and are able to attend the meeting on 16 April, send a brief note (side of A4 is enough), including your telephone number and other contact details, to mcculloughj@parliament.uk or the postal address below.
For more information on the format your submission should take, see here .
More details of the sub-committee can be found at this website .
Postal address of EFRA:
British Waterways Inquiry
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Committee Office
House of Commons
SW1P 3JA
