Richard Burt Speaks Against DEFRA Cuts At British Waterways Rally

3.14.30pm GMT Mon 27th Nov 2006

Alan Watts from Sledge Green on board his narrow boat, Platypus, with Richard Burt at Gloucester Docks

West Worcestershire's Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt, spoke this weekend at a rally of boat owners protesting against DEFRA cuts to British Waterway's annual grant.

Over fifty boats assembled at Gloucester Docks last Saturday [25 November] to hear speakers, including the town's MP, calling on Government to reverse it's decision to cut £7.6million from this year's waterways budget.

Richard Burt, who was invited by boat owners from Worcestershire, said it was nonsense to cut funding for waterways maintenance and flood defences at a time when the risk of flooding has increased because of global warming.

Richard said: "DEFRA has been told to make these cuts to pay for Margaret Beckett's bungling over Single Farm Payments. It is indefensible to raid 12.5% from DEFRA budgets to pay for self-inflicted mistakes.

"Any shortfall as a result of single farm payment mistakes should be made up from Treasury contingency funds, and not by raiding grants for essential environmental work.

"One hundred and eighty waterways staff now face a very real threat of redundancy, and essential waterways maintenance work will not be done if these cuts go ahead.

"MPs on the Select Committee on the Environment have themselves recommended an increase of funding on flood defences alone to £750million per year within five years. It seems nonsense to cut funding now if we are to continue to look after our waterways and improve flood protection."