---

British Waterways

Does my hon. Friend agree that that dual pincer financial movement on British Waterways—the cut in the DEFRA grant and the sell-off of the property portfolio—would leave it in an impossible position and make a huge 200-year asset into a liability? Would she, like me, not be surprised if British Waterways were to say to the Government, "We cannot afford to maintain this. This is your problem"? The call upon the taxpayer would then be potentially quite large, and it would far outweigh any money that the Government, the Treasury or DEFRA would save or make from the sell-off.