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.”
The anti-liveaboard Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has been elected to three of the four private boater places on the Canal and River Trust Council. Clive Henderson, Ivor Caplan and Keith Welch, all connected with the IWA, gained the most votes with Ann Farrell in fourth place. The two boating business places were taken by Nigel Stevens, owner of Shire Cruisers hire boats and a past Chair of BWAF, and Anthony Matts.
Liveaboard Frank Kelly who stood for election said
The draft order to transfer BW to charity status will be scrutinised by five Parliamentary committees and in addition has to be agreed by both houses of Parliament. This means that there will be opportunities to lobby Parliament about the risks of homelessness for boat dwellers of the move to the Canal and River Trust (CRT), in particular to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee. In addition, there is still time to object to the registration of the CRT to the Charity Commission, as the application to register the charity has not yet been submitted.
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.
Voting for the Canal and River Trust Council starts tomorrow, 8th February. Liveaboard boater Frank Kelly, who helped to prevent BW from introducing its draconian and unlawful mooring strategy for the River Lea, is standing for election to one of the four private boater places on the Council.