For those who don't see the IWA emails, this is what they've put out on the subject of the latest cuts:
Begin forwarded message: > From: Jo Gilbertson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 19 November 2007 14:49:00 GMT > To: "Bruce Napier" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [news] More DEFRA Waterway Cuts - Urgent Action Required > Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Dear waterways supporter, > > Please excuse me writing to you directly, but IWA needs your urgent > help and support. > > You may have heard reports in the news over the weekend of proposals > for further cuts to DEFRA’s budgets. > > More Cuts Proposed > > IWA is reliably informed that ministers are to be presented with a > package for £130 million of immediate cuts to the Department for > Environment Food and Rural Affairs’ budget with radical options for > another £140 million of savings. This would affect all DEFRA-funded > bodies, including British Waterways and the Environment Agency and > would be in addition to 5% year-on-year cuts already reported. British > Waterways is allegedly at the top of the list for further cuts to its > funding. > > We are fully aware that British Waterways and the Environment Agency > have not recovered from their share of the £200m cuts to funding > imposed by the Treasury last year after DEFRA mismanaged payments to > farmers following a reform of agricultural subsidies. > > Impact on Waterways > > The waterways community now faces more budgetary cuts of an unknown > nature, in addition to the £5 million known budget deficit, a 33% or > more licence increase, a trebling of fuel costs, 200 plus waterway job > cuts, and indeterminate maintenance cuts. > > British Waterways has additionally been hard hit by this summer’s > flooding and the breach in the Brecon and Abergavenny Canal - a total > additional cost of over £10 million. Other navigation authorities have > also suffered considerable losses. > > IWA Campaign > > IWA believes that the Treasury should be allocating additional funds > to waterway managers to cope with these flooding disasters which were > outside their control. IWA additionally maintains that the > Government’s decision to reduce waterways funding to help pay for the > additional costs of the outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease, Blue > Tongue Disease and Bird ‘Flu is not just unfair, but grossly > unreasonable and should be reversed before further damage is done. > > IWA is currently seeking an urgent meeting with the minister to > discuss the possibility of an application for funding from the > Contingency Fund; however, waterway users need to show their concern > now by writing to their MP and raising the alarm before it is too > late. > > It is clear that the situation would have been even worse if it had > not been for the campaigning and lobbying already undertaken. That > work has been very effective and IWA is grateful for the support > members have received from many MPs and welcomes their resolve to > resist these prospective cuts. We need to continue lobbying MPs and > make them aware of the threat that these proposed budget cuts pose . > > Can You Help? > > I am asking you to spare some time to write to your MP this week and > inform them of the situation. Important funding decisions are being > made by the Treasury and DEFRA in the next four weeks. To delay > raising concerns over the cuts and the latest funding proposals could > allow the proposals to become consolidated before MPs have a chance to > lobby ministers. > > IWA is concerned that substantial budget cuts to British Waterways > would raise the likelihood of closure of canals due to an inability to > fund routine maintenance and safety requirements risking the type of > breach such as that recently seen on the Brecon and Abergavenny Canal. > > It may feel like our backs are against the wall, but now is not the > time to surrender and accept these cuts as either necessary or a > given. > > Your voice counts – please write to your MP today! > > Please pass this message on to anyone else you think may wish to write > to their MP and help the waterways. > > You can find the name of your local MP by going to: > http://www.writetothem.com/ > > > Thank you for your time. > > Kindest regards, > Jo Gilbertson > Campaign Coordinator > The Inland Waterways Association –– All the best Bruce "Houses are but badly built boats so firmly aground you cannot think of moving them" Arthur Ransome, 'Racundra's First Cruise' –– Bruce Napier www.nbsanity.net nbsanity.blogspot.com 07884 003581 Living In Sanity (it's a no-mad existence) 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/
