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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Canal & River Trust on securing the long-term future of canals and waterways and the wider benefits they provide.

Defra is working with the Canal and River Trust on the current review of the Government’s annual grant funding for the Trust, as required by the 2012 Grant Agreement. The review will inform a decision about any future grant funding from 2027.