Nigel Stanley wrote: > Today's Guardian reports: > > "Spending cuts on recycling, canals, wildlife conservation and > forestry were announced yesterday by Hilary Benn, the environment > secretary. But more cash from the Department for Environment, Food and > Rural Affairs is to be given to flood defences, low-carbon energy > projects, waste and incineration, farm subsidies and fighting animal > diseases. > > "The move is part of a recasting of the department's £3.94bn budget > following a ministerial crisis meeting at the beginning of the month > after officials realised that the department was facing a £1bn > overspend in the next three years. > > "It will mean the end of much ministry support for business, cuts in > consultant contracts, closure of offices and voluntary redundancy for > 1,400 of Defra's staff. The Waste and Resources Action Programme, > which promotes recycling, sees a 30% funding cut, from £59m to £43.2m, > while British Waterways has its funding cut from £48.5m to £34.1m. > Natural England, which looks after conservation and wildlife, faces a > £5m reduction to £176m. Kew Gardens and Encams, which runs the Keep > Britain Tidy campaign, have had their budgets frozen." > > The full story is at > http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/feb/22/greenpolitics.hilarybenn
So...rather at odds? with: **************************************************************** IWA Press Release IWA Welcomes British Waterways' Budget Allocation Announcement Release Date: 22 February 2008 The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) welcomed the announcement by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs ( DEFRA) yesterday confirming that the settlement for British Waterways of grant-in-aid of £57.64million would be inline with expectations, as promised by the Minister, and not subject to any further cuts. DEFRA also announced that the Environment Agency grant would amount to £796million, although the Agency has yet to announce what proportion of this it will allocate towards navigation. Speaking on behalf of IWA, John Fletcher, national chairman, said; "IWA is acutely aware that this flat cash settlement is really a cut, once the level of inflation is taken into account. Whilst we are disappointed that the current financial climate and previous mismanagement of DEFRA's budget have made it impossible to reinstate the previous levels of grant-in-aid to the navigation authorities, it could have been much worse. We are, however, pleased that all of the hard work put in by our members in lobbying their MPs to protect what funding was available, in the immediate period before Christmas has paid off. I would like to personally thank everyone for the tremendous effort that was put in to protect the allocation, during the department's budget review process". "We welcome the positive influence of the new Waterways Minister, Jonathan Shaw MP and the hard work of his officials in ensuring British Waterways' budget has not been yet further reduced after the major cuts experienced last year, despite the Department's difficult financial position". "If IWA has a criticism in all of this, it is that we are disappointed at British Waterways' lamentable lack of visibility in fighting for its share of grant, and thus failing to champion the waterways in this process. It appears to IWA, that this passivity is the principle reason that caused British Waterways to have to withdraw from the Cotswold Canal partnership. British Waterways appears to have abdicated its leadership role in the development of the waterways and seems to be leaving the voluntary sector to take up the yoke. Notwithstanding 60 years of campaigning by IWA, some things don't appear to have changed. The need for an active waterways campaign movement today is a great as ever." ENDS Notes for Editors The DEFRA budget allocation can be seen at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/busplan/spending-review/budget0809.htm The Inland Waterways Association The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) is a registered charity, founded in 1946, which advocates the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the inland waterways for public benefit. IWA has about 18,000 members whose interests include boating, towing path walking, industrial archaeology, nature conservation and many other activities associated with the inland waterways. Information provided by 188 corporate members with their own membership structures has revealed that they, in themselves, have a combined membership of at least 59,500 in support of IWA's voice. IWA works closely with navigation authorities, other waterway bodies, a wide range of national and local authorities, voluntary, private and public sector organisations to raise funds, lobby for support and encourage public participation in the inland waterways. More than 500 miles of canals and navigable rivers have been re-opened to public use since the Association was founded in 1946. Currently another 500 miles of derelict inland waterways are the subject of restoration plans. Jo Gilbertson Campaign Coordinator The Inland Waterways Association Non-profit Distributing Company Limited by Guarantee No 612245 Registered Charity No 212342 Registered Office: 3 Norfolk Court, Norfolk Road, Rickmansworth, WD3 1LT Tel: 01923 711114 Ext 31 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] website: www.waterways.org.uk P sustainable thinking...please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to -- Neil Arlidge - NB Earnest - Shannon Reg 7410 Read about the TNC Irish travels at: http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_07/index.html 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/
