Member

Those who oppose my amendment may argue that the Canal & River Trust is already struggling financially and cannot support an additional statutory duty. I do not dispute that the Canal & River Trust faces serious financial pressures. We can all appreciate the complex demands of managing a vast and ageing infrastructure, but there is an important context to the trust’s financial challenges. The Canal & River Trust was formed in 2012 to take over the previous statutory responsibilities of state control from British Waterways, with responsibility for 2,000 miles of canals in England.