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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support people living on the waterways during the covid-19 outbreak; what plans he has to lift the current requirements for boaters vessels to not stay moored in one place longer than two weeks; and if he will make a statement.

The Government is clear that the single most important action we can all take in fighting coronavirus is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives. We have announced a range of measures to support people and communities, including: a £500 million fund for households experiencing financial hardship; a coronavirus Job Retention Scheme where small and large employers will be eligible to apply for a Government grant of 80% of workers’ salaries up to £2,500 a month; deferral of the next quarter of VAT payments for firms; and £330 billion of Government-backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses. We have also made significant changes to the operation of statutory sick pay, universal credit, and employment and support allowance to ensure that people have quicker and more generous access to a support system, and we have taken further immediate steps to give businesses access cash to pay their rent, salaries or suppliers.

The Government is continuously reviewing decisions to reflect the rapidly changing environment in response to Covid-19. Responsibility for inland waterways, including their operation, development or restoration, rests with the bodies that own them and with the relevant navigation authority. The two largest navigation authorities, the Canal and River Trust and the Environment Agency, are following Government guidance.

Boaters should limit movement to all but essential travel to access services and continue to follow Government guidance. The Canal and River Trust is suspending the requirement to move every 14 days; the suspension will be kept under review in line with revised Government guidance. The Environment Agency and other navigation authorities will also be updating their guidance and mooring conditions for boaters to reflect and enable only essential travel, and will be reviewing this position on an ongoing basis in line with Government guidance on movement. Those who are unable to move as a result of self-isolation or other virus-related impacts are asked to contact the relevant navigation authority directly to discuss their circumstances on a case by case basis. The Government will continue to review the situation.