BRITISH WATERWAYS FUNDING CUTS (NO. 2)

That this House notes that the UK inland waterways have undergone a transformation in recent years as more people are using canals and rivers for recreation than ever before, whether as boaters, anglers, walkers, cyclists or nature lovers; further notes that more freight is being transported and that regenerated waterways are the backbone of many inner city improvements and that thousands of jobs are linked to the well-being of canals, including the construction of Prescott Lock, which will facilitate access for supplies to develop the London Olympic Site; therefore notes with alarm that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has reduced British Waterways' grant by 15 per cent. in 2006-07, resulting in a devastating effect upon the inland waterways; further notes that 180 British Waterways staff are to lose their jobs and that the possibility has been raised of canals being closed; and calls upon the Government immediately to reinstate the cuts imposed upon British Waterways and to ensure that long-term funding is guaranteed to enable continued investment and restoration of the waterways.