Oh no it hasn't. (I hope this isn't a duplicate post, but I can't see my first attempt).
Caroline Spelman's statement: "I have decided that Defra should have a stronger role in developing policy for inland waterways and have already signalled our preference for moving British Waterways to a civil society model. Today I am announcing that I also intend to abolish the Inland Waterways Advisory Council. Defra will lead on developing future policy in this area by consulting all interests directly, by making full use of the evidence which can be provided by the navigation authorities and by forming a closer relationship with stakeholders. This decision highlights the importance I attach to the effective management of inland waterways and my determination to place them on a more sustainable long-term footing." The minister cannot abolish IWAC - Parliament and the Queen can do it. If the coalition survives (and surely a Lib Dem rebellion cannot be far off) it will be next year before legislation can abolish IWAC. If the waterways community isn't persuaded that this is a good move, there's time to lobby. I'd have thought that with big changes in how BW works and is funded, this would be a good time to look to an established stakeholder body like IWAC to monitor how those changes are working. Now one man's established stakeholder body is someone else's expensive quango, but abolishing IWAC is not going to make a huge dent in the deficit (£250K p.a.) - especially if a civil servant at defra is really going to be doing the work of "consulting all interests directly" (and forgive me for being sceptical about that when the government will allow new schools to be set up without consulting anyone other than the mad parents wanting to do it, even when there are surplus places in neighbouring schools). Steve Don't Blame Me I Voted Labour Parish
