A few points: 1) Government grant is already a much bigger source of income to BW than license fees. The problem is that BW doesn't control government grant, but it can set license fees. A small percentage cut in government grant can only be met by a big percentage increase in license fees. (just as big increases in council tax are needed if government grant falls in local government, which is why I'm sceptical of expecting local government to susbtitute for central government funding - except in particular local circumstances. )
2) Government pays grant because it does recognise the heritage, environmental and regeneration aspects of the waterways system, but it doesn't recognise it sufficiently to provide as much money as we would like to see. That is why we must make the case vigorously. 2) Public finances are under huge pressure. The credit crunch etc will both reduce the tax take, and increase public expenditure as unemployment rises. The uneasy coalition of BW and waterways users did make some progress in the last battle about resources (and claimed a ministerial scalp) but it is going to get harder. 3) There is no single definition of fairness when it comes to license fees, therefore there can be no perfect system that pleases everyone. And almost certainly any system that meets at least grudging acceptance as least worst will have compromises between different versions of fairness and different boater lobby groups. This means it is unlikely to be entirely logical or be based on a single straightforward principle. 4) Some (possibly) desirable factors cannot easily be directly measured (such as the means of the boat-owner or the value of the boat) and therefore surrogate measures such as boat length, width or area have to stand in - but will never do so perfectly. 5) That doesn't mean I think the present system is fine or that we should accept the new proposals - some of which are daft - just that I'm glad I'm not deciding what it should be. I don't do as much boating as some, but I certainly would not want a system that discourages people from using their boats - given the zero to low marginal cost of each lock-mile navigated. 6) Exect perhaps you shouldn't be allowed to use the Llangollen until you can shown you have cruised the equivalent mileage on the BCN. -- Nigel Stanley
