Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether boat owners are permitted to visit their boats for essential (a) maintenance and (b) safety checks during the covid-19 lockdown announced in January 2021.

The coronavirus guidance published by jointly by the Departments for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, and Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (updated on 7 January 2021) provides that maintaining second homes, caravans, boats and other assets is not generally a reasonable excuse for leaving home. However, people may leave home to secure their second home, caravan or boat to secure their second home, in order to avoid it posing a risk of harm/injury to themselves or others.

Boat Safety Scheme (BSS) examiners can access boats in the course of professional activity to conduct safety examinations where these are necessary to renew or obtain a BSS certificate, akin to an MOT for a road vehicle. The BSS website ( https://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/requirements-examinations-certification/arranging-the-examination/) sets out guidance on how to arrange a BSS examination within the current national covid restrictions, and where necessary boat owners should contact their navigation authority for further advice on this.