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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the position paper by the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities entitled The challenges around the increasing residential use of waterways.

Navigation authorities are not housing authorities. Defra will consider the matters raised in the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities position paper about the residential use of inland waterways, and will engage with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the housing-related and other issues that fall within its policy responsibilities.