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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the level of funding it provides for the Canal and River Trust; what steps her Department is taking to protect canals; and if she will make a statement.

The Government’s review of the current grant funding for the Canal and River Trust (C&RT) examined the performance of the C&RT since its establishment in 2012 to assess value for money, and considered the case for continued Government grant funding beyond the end of the current grant period in 2027. The comprehensive and independent evidence-based assessment undertaken during the review drew on Government best practice using cross-government and external expertise, as set out in HM Treasury’s 5-case business case model and the Green Book. Full consideration was given to the evidence provided by the C&RT when assessing the range of benefits it provides. The report on the review of the grant agreement between the Government and the C&RT was published on the gov.uk website on 11 July, available here.

The current 15-year Government grant that ends in 2027 amounts to around £740 million, and the new 10-year grant from 2027 to 2037 announced on 10 July amounts to a further £401 million. This supports the C&RT in maintaining a safe canal network. Specific activities undertaken to achieve that are an operational matter for the C&RT.