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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what impact assessment has been undertaken to examine the effect of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s proposals for older passenger boats on trends in the level of Environment Agency lock fees.

The Environment Agency’s (EA) boat registration charge proposals for 2019-2021 were approved by Ministers in October 2018, before the Maritime and Coastguard Agency published its consultation on proposed amendments to the technical requirements applicable to UK domestic passenger vessels.

EA charge proposals from 2021 will be subject to a full public consultation and also a business impact target assessment. The EA has committed to involving stakeholders in developing these proposals, in particular engaging the marine trade, through British Marine – the UK industry body which represents the interests of passenger boat operators.