Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, how many boats were registered to use the River Thames in 2023.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In 2023 the Environment Agency (EA) has issued 12,790 boat registrations for boats used or kept on the non-tidal Thames. The Canal and River Trust (CRT)/EA operate a Gold Licence scheme which allows boaters to use all EA and CRT waterways for a single fee.
The data for figure of CRT/EA Gold licences issued in 2023 will be available in March 2024. As a guide, in 2022, the CRT/EA Gold scheme equated to a further 1,265 registrations for boats on the non-tidal Thames.
Asked by: Dominic Raab (Conservative - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much from the public purse the Environment Agency has spent on enforcement against illegal river moorings in Elmbridge Borough in each of the last five years.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency cannot quantify our cost of enforcement of illegal moorings in Elmbridge as the work is river wide. In 2022 the Environment Agency carried out a project to remove wrecks and abandoned boats, but not limited to the River Thames in Elmbridge, at a cost of £280K for the removal and disposal of 41 wrecks. Each and every vessel, if removed from the River Thames will have its own cost for removal.
Asked by: Dominic Raab (Conservative - Esher and Walton)
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 effectiveness of the Environment Agency’s enforcement of illegal moorings in the non-tidal Thames.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Operational matters on inland waterways are the responsibility of the relevant navigation authority, such as in this case the Environment Agency’s enforcement of illegal moorings on the non-tidal Thames.
The Environment Agency waterways department as part of Defra is aware of all mooring issues or potential reported issues on its land. The intelligence is captured and collated in the Environment Agency navigation enforcement team’s Tactical Assessment (Thames). The document includes mooring and trespass issues on Environment Agency land only and helps prioritise and deliver outcomes. Trespass and mooring issues not relating to the Environment Agency fall under riparian landowners’ or other navigation authorities’ responsibilities.
The Tactical Assessment is a classified document and deemed as sensitive and would not be shared with the public. The Thames Enforcement Plan for the Environment Agency Non-Tidal Thames, which gives an overview of enforcement actions and priorities for 2023/2024, can be viewed here: Non-Tidal River Thames Regulation and Enforcement Plan 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Dominic Raab (Conservative - Esher and Walton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency shares data on the enforcement of illegal moorings in the non-tidal Thames with her Department; and if her Department will publish that data by local authority area.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency works with partner agencies to improve compliance on the non-tidal Thames, sharing outcomes with local authority areas and stakeholders alike. However, intelligence and ongoing enforcement actions are not shared with the public due to legal privilege and GDPR rules and regulations. More information relating to enforcement on the non-tidal Thames can be viewed on the Non-Tidal River Thames Regulation and Enforcement Plan 2023/2024: Non-Tidal River Thames Regulation and Enforcement Plan 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate his Department has made of levels of carbon emissions from pleasure boats on the River Thames; and what plans he has to reduce those emissions.
Answered by Robert Courts - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
DfT has not produced specific estimates of carbon emissions from pleasure boats on the River Thames. The levels of carbon emissions from domestic shipping, including pleasure boats, are published by BEIS as part of the final estimates of UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions.
The Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP) published last year, set out our commitments to decarbonise shipping emissions, including from pleasure boats. This includes including consultations on the establishment of indicative targets from 2030 to 2050, and a potential phase out date for non-zero domestic emission vessels in the UK.
Alongside the TDP we launched a £23m Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, match funding innovative projects in zero emission shipping technologies. Building on the success of this initiative, this month we have announced £206 million of R&D investment in zero emission technologies, as part of the establishment of a UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with local authority leaders in London on increasing the number of jetties on the River Thames to (a) encourage more sustainable craft using that river and (b) mitigate the number of vehicles on London roads.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The responsibility for transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London, and the Rivers Thames in London is managed by the Port of London Authority. The number of jetties on the River Thames is the responsibility for the Mayor of London.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has been made on granting the Mayor of London new powers to tackle non-road pollution sources including those on the Thames from scheduled passenger boats and commercial river traffic which still predominantly rely on fossil-based diesel.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The responsibility for transport in London and environmental planning is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London. Officials have regular discussions with TfL on environmental issues.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on the potential market access and operating advantage of Uber Thames Clippers in regard to the level of central London pier landing fees paid by those clippers compared to other scheduled Thames passenger boat operators.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The responsibility for transport in London, including passenger boat services on the River Thames, is devolved to the Mayor of London and Transport for London.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when Maritime and Coastguard Agency passenger boat surveyors plan to restart survey assessments and approvals on passenger boats on the Thames.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will resume its statutory obligations to survey and inspect domestic passenger boats in the UK, including those operating on the Thames, on 20 July and will use a risk-based approach.
The details of the plans for resumption of these activities were made available to the maritime industry on 6 July.
The MCA has no plans to (a) reduce or (b) remove the fees for statutory inspections and surveys that their Marine Surveyors perform on passenger boats.
The Government has announced an unprecedented package of financial measures worth £350 billion to support companies of all sizes through the COVID-19 pandemic. My Department’s officials and I have been working closely with a wide range of operators, including passenger ferry operators, to understand how these measures can be applied and have continued to offer our support to them during this difficult time.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to (a) reduce or (b) remove the fees for statutory inspections and surveys carried out on passenger boats by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will resume its statutory obligations to survey and inspect domestic passenger boats in the UK, including those operating on the Thames, on 20 July and will use a risk-based approach.
The details of the plans for resumption of these activities were made available to the maritime industry on 6 July.
The MCA has no plans to (a) reduce or (b) remove the fees for statutory inspections and surveys that their Marine Surveyors perform on passenger boats.
The Government has announced an unprecedented package of financial measures worth £350 billion to support companies of all sizes through the COVID-19 pandemic. My Department’s officials and I have been working closely with a wide range of operators, including passenger ferry operators, to understand how these measures can be applied and have continued to offer our support to them during this difficult time.