Government must reverse waterways decision - Liz Lynne

12.00.00am GMT Mon 5th Mar 2007

Liz Lynne MEP, local Lib Dem MEP today urged the Government to reverse its decision to cut funding to British Waterways.

Recent figures show the effect of the government's decision to slash the British Waterways budget by £5.6 million. Several vital projects across the region have been scaled down in recent months.

These include the dredging of the River Severn, the refurbishment of the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal and the Tividale Aqueduct, all of which have been deferred.

Speaking from the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Harrogate, Liz, who is also Vice President of the Droitwich Canals Trust and a Friend of Montgomery Canal Trust which runs from Welshpool to Oswestry said:

"Rather than cutting back on investment in the West Midlands' canal and river network, which is vital to the rural economy, the government should make up the shortfall using its own contingency fund.

"The Treasury has already indicated that it would fund any fine over the rural payments debacle from the contingency fund. Why not also plug the British Waterways funding gap from this source?

"These are short term cuts, but they will lead to long-term damage to the West Midlands region's waterways."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The Liberal Democrats have been running a "Canal Cuts are Nuts" campaign in an attempt to reverse the government's nonsensical decision and prevent the damage to the rural environment, and loss of over 180 jobs, that will be caused by these cuts.