Hi All, Thought this might be of interest to you.
Regards, Andrew Web Site www.andrewdyke.co.uk Web Site www.mayorofevesham.co.uk ----- Original Message ----- From: "LUFF, Peter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Andrew Dyke" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:49 PM Subject: RE: DEFRA Cuts I HAVE ISSUED THIS PRESS RELEASE TODAY; 25 October 2006 LUFF WADES IN TO WATERWAYS FUNDING ROW Mid Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has criticised the government's decision to slash funding of the country's leading canal and river organisation, British Waterways. He has written a sharply worded letter to Barry Gardiner, the waterways minister in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Peter's constituency includes sections of two waterways maintained by British Waterways - the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and the River Severn - and he is a supporter of the organisation's leadership in the plans for the re-opening of the Droitwich canals. Peter explained, "DEFRA notified British Waterways in March that its grant would be cut by 5% (£3.1 million). British Waterways subsequently adjusted its budgets, but in August DEFRA announced that British Waterway's funding would be cut by a further 7.5% (£4.5 million) with the possibility of a further 2.5% (£1.5 million) being slashed in November. This lower level of funding is to continue through 2007 and perhaps until 2012. It is a response largely to the massive problems in the management of the farm grants scheme by the Rural payments Agency but also to the expenditure on avian flu." In his letter, Peter says, "I completely fail to see why the difficulties of the Rural Payments Agency - caused by a bad policy, badly implemented by DEFRA ministers - should lead to a funding reduction in other parts of DEFRA. "Why should British Waterways pay the price for such spectacular incompetence at political level? "I am left completely breathless. The problems of the Rural Payments Agency should be met out of the general reserve, and not out of DEFRA's specific budget. "I understand there is generally a challenging climate for public expenditure at present with the Chancellor imposing cuts pretty well across the board except in a few key protected areas. If British Waterways were just being cut in line with those reductions elsewhere in government although I might be unhappy, I would not be vitriolic. "DEFRA made a mess of the Rural Payments Agency as you and I know, but I completely fail to understand why the reaction of the government is to cut the grants to bodies that bear no share of the blame whatsoever and have indeed behaved with exemplary efficiency. Is this any way to run a government? Reward failure and penalise success - it hardly sounds like a motto for good government. "Can you explain to me why British Waterways should pay the price for bungling elsewhere in the Department?" ENDS Peter Luff Member of Parliament for Mid Worcestershire Chairman, DTI Select Committee House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Telephone 01905 763952 Fax 01905 761808 Website www.peterluff.org.uk -----Original Message----- From: Andrew Dyke [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 25 October 2006 10:28 To: LUFF, Peter Subject: DEFRA Cuts Morning Peter, Thank you for your letter 24/10/06, which arrived this morning . I am pleased to note that Margaret Rowley is also involved. The SOW campaign continues to gather pace and I am sure she will wish to support it. Once again I expect you have seen the following but I thought I would forward the latest EDM I have found just in case. >From http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmedm/61024e01.htm 2829 ENVIRONMENT AGENCY FUNDING 23:10:06 Mr David Drew Andrew George Bob Spink Lynne Jones Mr Lindsay Hoyle David Taylor * 11 Jim DobbinMs Katy ClarkMr Edward Vaizey Mr Elfyn LlwydBob Russell That this House notes the effects of climate change with the increased incidence of flooding and coastal erosion; believes that it is very disappointing that the Environment Agency faces a cut of £25 million in this financial year, much of it due to come from reduced spending on flood defence schemes; further notes that the Agency may face further reductions in the next Comprehensive Spending Review if the current expenditure base is maintained; and therefore calls upon the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Ministers to review these cuts with an aim to restore budgets to previous levels. Thank you for your continued help and support. I look forward to the reply from Mr Gardiner MP. Regards, Andrew Web Site www.andrewdyke.co.uk Web Site www.mayorofevesham.co.uk Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
