Written question asked by Martin Vickers (Conservative) on Monday, 9 January 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 12 January 2012. It was answered by Lord Benyon (Conservative) on Monday, 16 January 2012 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Dredging

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of dredging works which will not have been completed at the proposed time of transfer of British Waterways' canals and rivers to the Canal & River Trust.

Answer: Dredging is an operational matter for British Waterways (BW) and it applies a risk-based prioritisation to its maintenance expenditure. The Government require BW to operate and maintain waterways to standards that reflect use and prospects of use.BW estimates that the cost of clearing the current backlog of dredging would be approximately £40 million. BW has not set a time scale for dealing with the dredging backlog because it is subject to BW's need to prioritise expenditure on its major infrastructure assets and therefore it is not possible to confirm which dredging works will remain outstanding when the charity is vested. However, BW prioritises dredging at locations that cause particular boating constraints.Once BW's assets and functions are transferred to the Canal & River Trust, it will be a matter for the trust to prioritise expenditure on the operation and maintenance of the waterways.

Secondary information