Rivers and Estuaries: Derelict Boats

Lord Campbell-Savours Excerpts

Thursday 19th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Speaker (Lord McFall of Alcluith)]

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours, is participating remotely.

[Lord Campbell-Savours (Lab) [V]]

When Maidenhead had to deal with the problem of abandoned and sunken boats on the Thames, the local authority and the Environment Agency pleaded poverty, conflicting powers and confusion over responsibility. It took a local landowner to do the job of clearing the boats at his expense—so, free of charge. There is a lacuna in the law that needs sorting out. Will the Minister and his officials look at this whole issue of responsibility and perhaps come back to the House with, to be blunt, a better answer?

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I will try my best again for my noble friend. He raises a specific case in Maidenhead; I will be honest with the House, I do not have the details of that case. He is absolutely right that we rely on our navigation authorities, local authorities, local landowners and the community to work together. It should not be up to just one landowner to do the right thing; we need everyone to work together. I will certainly undertake to examine the lacuna in law that he has identified; perhaps I can write to him with some more detail.