Rivers and Estuaries: Derelict Boats

Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate Excerpts

Thursday 19th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

The right reverend Prelate raises an important point. All the navigation authorities have different set-ups, corporate structures and funding patterns. He raises the framework agreement; I will certainly take that issue back to colleagues in Defra to better understand the progress of that agreement.

[Lord Kirkhope of Harrogate (Con)]

My Lords, this is a very serious matter. I think of the history of the River Hull, for instance, where the dredging authorities, in order to keep the flows going and avoid flooding in irrigation, had great problems in being able to move sunken or half-sunken boats. Surely something more can be done to alleviate that problem, and in particular to put some speed into its alleviation?