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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Canal & River Trust Our Climate and Adaptation Report, published in December 2024; in particular, the roles that canals could play in (1) biodiversity, (2) decarbonisation, and (3) climate adaptation.

No assessment has been made. As a charity independent of government, the Canal and River Trust is responsible for its operational matters and decisions. The government does not have a role in that, but does provide an annual grant of £52.6m towards maintaining the canal infrastructure that helps the Trust to deliver its charitable objectives in line with the Waterways Trust Settlement. The Government recognises that the Trust has an important role to play in contributing to the Environmental Improvement Plan, alongside other government priorities.