Steve Haywood wrote: > On 11/02/07, Nick Atty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> On Sat, 10 Feb 2007 11:40:48 -0000, Dave Wedd wrote: >> >> >From Hansard, 6.2.07, written answers: >>> 6 Feb 2007 : Column 763W >>> Barry Gardiner: British Waterways has made savings in the order of £5.6 >>> million in its capital projects as a result of the reduction in its grant in >>> aid. >>> Details of these savings are provided in the following table: >> There are some disasters waiting to happen here, IMHO: >> >>> Roddlesworth Embankment, >>> Leeds and Liverpool Canal >>> 300,000 deferred: Stemming of leakage >>> through embankment and raising the >>> height of the wash wall both deferred >>> Denham Culvert, Grand >>> Union Canal >>> 174,000 deferred: In-depth investigation >>> into the integrity of the structure >>> deferred >>> Milton Keynes Culvert, Grand >>> Union Canal >>> 176,000 deferred: Repairs to two >>> culverts deferred >> But, as I've said before, the best thing for BW to do - for us and for >> them - may well be to let a few spectacular failures occur, particularly >> when they can point at plans to prevent them that DEFRA scuppered. >> -- > > > But they won't do that, Nick. To do that would take real bottle > because politically it would be equivilent to drinking cyanide. And > you only have to look what happened at the Boat Show to see how > confident government are that they won't get confronted.
Yes, to use the word that Nick Atty gave to me when I described what I think is a clear conflict of interest in the way that Ministers 'manage' BW, there is a problem of 'subordination' between Defra and BW. It is one of the points that SOW has raised in its submission to the EFRA Inquiry; it will be interesting to see if it is discussed. So, as you say Steve, BW can't raise the spectre of catastrophic failures but SOW can and that is just what we intend to do in the next round. Towpath Talk have already started in the last issue and I believe it will carry the same theme in the next. Meanwhile, we are looking at ways that we can help identify locally fragile parts of the waterways so that local residents can write to their MPs about them (and ask the Minister to comment). In Charlotte Atkins case, it looks like she has picked up the same idea (perhaps from the conversation we had with her at the floti lla. We would be interested to hear from anyone who thinks they have a risky chunk of canal in their area and we'll be happy to help compose a suitable letter for the MP. Cheers Will Chapman > > Steve > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > -- Will Chapman Save Our Waterways www.SaveOurWaterways.org.uk
