Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the progress made by the Canal & River Trust on growing alternative income sources to its grant funding.

The Government currently provides an annual grant of over £50 million to the Canal and River Trust, guaranteed until 2027. We are undertaking a review of the grant, as required by the 2012 Grant Agreement. The review is assessing whether the grant is providing value for money and whether there is a case for continued government funding beyond the end of the grant period in 2027. As the review is ongoing, I am unable to provide specific details. The outcome of the review will be announced when it has concluded.