Susan Kramer speaks on Canals

8.23.00pm GMT Wed 12th Dec 2007

Michael Fabricant (Lichfield, Conservative): I am grateful for this second opportunity to debate the future of our canals . .

Susan Kramer (Richmond Park, Liberal Democrat): This has been a serious debate, although it has been couched in entertaining terms. I am conscious of the fact that we have a lot of questions for the Minister, however, so I will try to keep my remarks brief.

Several Members have discussed the way in which canals will continue to contribute to the regeneration of some of our most deprived areas, as well as the opportunities that they offer for leisure and tourism and for underpinning the economies of areas with otherwise quite limited sources of income. I want, however, to make a couple of additional comments.

At a time when we need to tackle climate change, we sometimes underestimate the value of canals. Waterborne transport is among the most efficient forms of transport from an emissions perspective, and Tesco became the first major retailer to start transporting freight by canal earlier this year. Canals and waterways can also make a significant contribution to ensuring that the construction work carried out as part of the Olympics in London is greener and more efficient. In addition, the waterways are vital for transporting rubbish in the London area, and I am sure that we all think that such activities should be expanded.

Underpinning the debate have been the ongoing tensions between the Government and British Waterways, and between the Government and Members who are aware of the issues associated with canals. There remains great frustration about DEFRA's disruptive cuts in mid-year last year, and although I congratulate the hon. Member for Lichfield (Michael Fabricant) on calling for this debate, he surely should not have needed to do so, because the concern about the cuts must have been evident to the Government. The resulting fear, uncertainty and ambiguity-the sense that there is no clear direction regarding where investment will come from in the upcoming years or how much it will be-surely puts the Department under pressure to make things clear as early as possible, so that the industry has a framework and understands the circumstances that it faces. We all hope that the waterways will cease to be the Cinderella in the DEFRA budget.

I join others in saying that DEFRA must work in partnership with other Departments not only to discuss the future of canals, but to fund them. We could look at a whole series of budgets, including those of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Transport, to ensure that the waterways have a coherent future. I cannot believe that it is not vital to have in place a long-term funding strategy and some real clarity so that investment is possible, and we expect the Minister to address those issues when he replies.

I also join others in raising concerns about the pattern of cost transfers from the taxpayer to the user, and I hope that the Minister will address the issue. We see that pattern in other parts of the transport industry. One great benefit of the waterways is that they give people on relatively low incomes the opportunity to enjoy a holiday or, indeed, to have a residence. If we allow the waterways to lose that characteristic-if everything is for the rich, not the many-we will destroy an important part of the fabric of the waterborne community.

I will now sit down but before I do, I ask the Minister to give us a full set of responses to the issues that have been raised.'

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