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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Canal and River Trust's recommendation for Government funding of £200m for capital works to enable more freight to be carried on inland waterways.

There have been no discussions with my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Canal and River Trust’s capital programme proposal for contributing towards the wider national post-Covid-19 economic recovery, which included an element of £15 million over five years for a new inland port in Leeds and associated works to support the Aire and Calder Navigation with handling increased and larger freight traffic between Leeds and the Humber.