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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of recent efforts by canoeists to clear rubbish and plastic from inland waters; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure that such activity is encouraged and supported on all inland waterways in England.

The Government has not made any specific assessments of the effectiveness of recent efforts by canoeists to clear rubbish and plastic from inland waters.

We support and endorse action by volunteers and local communities to take action to address the specific litter issues in their areas, and were pleased to support Keep Britain Tidy’s recent Great British Spring Clean. The Prime Minister has also recently recognised the work of Dhruv Boruah of the Thames Project through a Points of Light Award.

The Government’s Litter Strategy recognises that much‑loved features of the local environment such as rivers, canals and beaches can be used as ‘flagship’ locations for clean-up action by communities. Organisations such as the Marine Conservation Society, Thames21 and Surfers Against Sewage are represented on the Community Engagement Working Group which was established under the Litter Strategy to explore the barriers to engaging and involving citizens in tackling litter and improving local places, and to recommend steps to address them.