Will Chapman wrote: More info...I contacted IWA, NABO, RBOA, and BMF to ask what they were doing about the Defra cuts.
I have just received this response from IWA. It contains good news (they have allocated a budget of £40K to campaign) and encouragement for IWA members and supporters to write to their MP's ( including an interesting point about the need for MP's to sign off letters with the relevant Minister. QUOTE he Inland Waterways Association (IWA) is a registered charity, founded in 1946, which advocates the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the inland waterways for public benefit. IWA has over 17,000 members whose interests include boating, towing path walking, industrial archaeology, nature conservation and many other activities associated with the inland waterways. The national chairman's speech at IWA's recent AGM focussed on the impending crisis faced by British Waterways, in particular, following the announcement of substantial cuts to its grant-in-aid, following financial difficulties being faced within the Department of Environment Food & Rural Affairs. IWA members and supporters are encouraged to lobby their local MPs (using the briefing in the September edition of Head Office Bulletin available at http://www.waterways.org.uk/News/HeadOfficeBulletin/September2006), and in particular to focus on possible effects in their area and to ask MPs to make specific enquiries on relevant ministers within the Department. Letters sent direct to ministers are likely just to be answered by civil servants with a standard text, and go unseen by those in a position to make a difference, whereas parliamentary protocol demands that correspondence from MPs to ministers has to be seen and signed off by a minister personally. The meeting heard that that the Association's Council is prepared to spend up to £40,000 on a sustained campaign to get government to change its mind, and improve funding for navigation authorities. Further briefings are to be issued shortly. The meeting resolutely supported the approach being taken by the Association in voicing the strongest objections to the proposed budget cuts. You might also be interested to read IWA's recent press release at http://www.waterways.org.uk/News/Pressreleases/IWAPressRelease-IWAStronglyCriticisesGovernmentCutstoWaterwayFunding. END QUOTE Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
