Posts Tagged ‘BW charity status’

BW transfer becomes law with concession to itinerant boat dwellers

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012

Both Houses of Parliament passed the BW Transfer Order on 27th June following debates on 25th and 26th June. In the debate in the Commons First Delegated Legislation Committee, Waterways Minister Richard Benyon announced that the Navigation Committee of the Canal and River Trust (CRT) “… will include at least one boater without a home mooring who understands and campaigns for the interests of itinerant live-aboard boaters.”

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MPs to consider BW Transfer Order on 26th June

Thursday, June 21st, 2012

The House of Commons First Delegated Legislation Committee will consider the Draft British Waterways Board (Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 on Tuesday 26th June. Please write to your MP now asking him or her to vote against the Order when it is returned to the floor of the House of Commons for a vote a few days after the Committee has considered it. An example letter is below.

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House of Lords to debate BW transfer on 25th June

Monday, June 18th, 2012

The House of Lords will debate the Draft British Waterways Board (Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 in the Grand Committee on Monday 25th June. Please write to as many Lords as you can before Monday asking them to vote against the Order. We have included an example letter below.

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Parliamentary Committee recommends CRT must consult boat dwellers

Saturday, May 26th, 2012

The Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee has recommended “that the Canal and River Trust demonstrates that it has taken into consideration the specific needs of all stakeholders, including itinerant boat dwellers, in the development of all future byelaws”.

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Canal and River Trust registered but still time to lobby MPs about BW Transfer Order

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

On 27th March, the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee decided to trigger the “super affirmative” procedure for the BW Transfer Order. This means that the time for consideration by Parliamentary Committees is 60 days (normally it is 40) and it must be approved by both Houses of Parliament following a debate in each. The 60 days ends on 24 May 2012 and the debates will take place sometime after 30 May. Seven days notice of the debates will be given and this will be posted on www.parliament.uk. This means that there is still some more time to lobby MPs and Lords about the Transfer Order, up to the start of June. Please write to your MP.

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Lords cross-examine BW directors

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

Five liveaboard boaters attended the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee on 24 April, to observe Robin Evans, the BW Chief Executive; Nigel Johnson, BW’s Legal Director, and Waterways Minister Richard Benyon MP being cross-examined by the Committee about the Draft British Waterways (Transfer of Functions) Order 2012. The boaters observing included Frank Kelly, who stood for election to the Canal and River Trust Council, and Nick Brown, Legal Officer of the National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA), who sent this report:

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Write to your MP now about BW Transfer Order!

Friday, March 16th, 2012

The draft Order to transfer British Waterways to the Canal and River Trust has been published and is currently being scrutinised by two Parliamentary Committees. It will also be debated in both the House of Commons and House of Lords. Despite many boaters lobbying and submitting evidence when the Public Bodies Bill (now an Act of Parliament) was being drafted, the issue of British Waterways was not discussed at all in the House of Commons committee on the Bill. The subject of the transfer order is BW alone, so it is vital that we take the opportunity to raise all the issues about the risks of homelessness to boat dwellers (both with and without permanent moorings) that arise from the transfer of BW to charity status. The deadline for submissions to the Committees is this Monday 19th March so  write to them now!

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BW transfer order laid before Parliament

Thursday, March 1st, 2012

On 29 February the Government laid before Parliament the draft order under the Public Bodies Act 2011 to transfer the functions of British Waterways to the Canal and River Trust. A Freedom of Information request has confirmed that no application to register the Canal and River Trust as a charity has been made – so there’s still time to object to the Charity Commission.

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BW Charity Transfer Delayed

Monday, January 30th, 2012

 It looks like the transfer of BW to charity status will be held up due to the time the Parliamentary procedure is expected to take.

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Liveaboard boater to stand for election

Monday, January 16th, 2012

Liveaboard boater Frank Kelly will be standing for election to one of the four boater representative places on the Canal and River Trust Council. Here is his statement which will be on the voting form:

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