Email your MP regarding funding concerns

[Crewcut]

On 15/07/2023 at 15:40, Barneyp said:

They vary a lot, through my work with a local charity i have met a few, varying from bizarre and possibly mentally unhinged to reasonable people genuinely trying to do their best to represent the electorate.

Oddly the one that I thought was the worst, and the one I thought was the most honest and trustworthy are both from the opposite end of the political spectrum to me.

 

That would include Mr Fabricant then...

[Grassman]

18 hours ago, IanD said:

Looks like another cut-and-paste reply supplied by Tory Central, not a genuine MP response...

 

It seems that way because two friends have received exactly that reply. At least mine from Fabricant was of his own making (or one of his staff) even though it was probably a standard one he is sending out to everybody.

[Ray T]

Deleted.

Edited July 20, 2023 by Ray T

[David Mack]

On 15/07/2023 at 14:19, rgreg said:

The email is pre-written with the option to add your own comments if you wish. It even automatically finds your MP's email.

 

20 hours ago, IanD said:

Looks like another cut-and-paste reply supplied by Tory Central, not a genuine MP response...

It it any surprise that a cut-and-paste email receives a cut-and-paste reply?

[Arthur Marshall]

9 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

It it any surprise that a cut-and-paste email receives a cut-and-paste reply?

Well, a cut and paste MP votes the way the message comes down from on high, so I suppose it's all you can expect. If MPs could make any impact on government, they'd be banned.

[IanD]

8 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

It it any surprise that a cut-and-paste email receives a cut-and-paste reply?

 

Not really... 😞

 

But the fact remains that if enough people complain there's a small chance this will lead to some pressure from MPs for change -- though I wouldn't hold my breath, it can't do any harm.

 

The real problem is the government attitude revealed in the responses, that their target is still to reduce funding and make it CARTs problem to magically find more money from elsewhere just to replace the falling grant and keep CART funding constant -- in real terms allowing for inflation, not top-line numbers.

 

As for the maintenance backlog... 😞 😞 😞

[Nightwatch]

I have, just now, written to the local MP for my ‘home’ address. I await with baited breath for a positive reply.

[IanD]

14 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

I have, just now, written to the local MP for my ‘home’ address. I await with baited breath for a positive reply.

 

If your breath smells bad enough to act as bait, you've *really* got problems... 😉

[Hudds Lad]

3 minutes ago, IanD said:

 

If your breath smells bad enough to act as bait, you've *really* got problems... 😉

Or he's been buying those Scampi Fries at the pub again  

[Nightwatch]

35 minutes ago, IanD said:

 

If your breath smells bad enough to act as bait, you've *really* got problems... 😉

I’ve really got problems.

[sigsegv]

Exact same reply from Jane Hunt MP as @Richard T

[IanD]

1 minute ago, sigsegv said:

Exact same reply from Jane Hunt MP as @Richard T

Have all the "cut and paste" replies come from Tory MPs? How about Labour, Lib Dems etc?

[David Mack]

With social media it is easy for campaigners on any issue to organise bombardment of MP's inboxes with identical or near-identical messages. I imagine these don't get anywhere the MP him/herself, unless he/she has a particular interest in the issue. So whenever possible the staff handling this will simply grab the standard response on the matter from the party database and send it out in the MP's name. The most the MP will get is a periodic update on the level of contact on particular issues, but none of the detailed points raised. And only if the issue is getting a lot of attention is the MP likely to take any more interest. 

So the whole process is fairly pointless.

[Tonka]

7 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

So the whole process is fairly pointless.

So do we just give up?

Edited July 20, 2023 by Tonka
Spelling

[Nightwatch]

Just received a reply from our local MP. After only three hours I thought that’s good. But, upon reading the standard response I feel cheated and disappointed. Here it is.

Dear Mr Woodman

Thank you for contacting me concerning the Government’s work to secure the future of Britain’s canal network.

Canals form an important part of the Government’s work in reintroducing biodiversity in nature. In addition to their history and industrial heritage, there are significant health and wellbeing benefits to walking along a canal. I understand that around 800 million visits are made to our canals every year, which demonstrates their importance in the UK.

The Government is developing policies to adapt to climate change across the country and I am aware that navigation authorities are exploring ways to adapt the network, such as through installing electric charging points in rivers and canals, which have helped encourage boaters to switch to electric vessels.

The Canal & River Trust is responsible for 2,000 miles of waterways and associated historic industrial infrastructure in England and Wales. It is responsible for maintaining the navigability and safety of its waterways including reservoirs, embankments and other infrastructure. The Government recognises that the organisation has an important role to play in contributing to the Environmental Improvement Plan.

While there is no obligation on Ministers to fund the Canal & River Trust beyond 2027, I am aware that, subject to certain conditions being met, the Government will offer a new long-term funding package of over £400 million. To date, the Canal & River Trust has been supported with £550 million funding from the Government. With this further commitment, the charity will be supported with a further £590 million until 2037.

Since it was first created in 2012 as a private charity independent of the Government, Ministers have been clear that the Canal & River Trust should become progressively more self-sufficient financially. I understand that a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Canal & River Trust signed in June 2012 included the objective to “reduce dependence on Government Grant and to foster increasing self-sufficiency, by providing access to new charitable income streams and stimulating new efficiencies.” I am aware that the long-term £400 million funding deal for 2027 to 2037 continues that objective.

Finally, Defra has been discussing this with the charity for some time and has been offering support on how it can increase income from other sources, alongside continued funding from the Government. 

Please rest assured that I understand the importance of protecting Britain’s canal network and I will pass on your concerns to my Ministerial colleagues at Defra, during the course of my regular meetings with them.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Kind regards

Alan

 

Alan Mak MP

Member of Parliament for the Havant Constituency

[IanD]

1 minute ago, Nightwatch said:

Just received a reply from our local MP. After only three hours I thought that’s good. But, upon reading the standard response I feel cheated and disappointed. Here it is.

Dear Mr Woodman

Thank you for contacting me concerning the Government’s work to secure the future of Britain’s canal network.

Canals form an important part of the Government’s work in reintroducing biodiversity in nature. In addition to their history and industrial heritage, there are significant health and wellbeing benefits to walking along a canal. I understand that around 800 million visits are made to our canals every year, which demonstrates their importance in the UK.

The Government is developing policies to adapt to climate change across the country and I am aware that navigation authorities are exploring ways to adapt the network, such as through installing electric charging points in rivers and canals, which have helped encourage boaters to switch to electric vessels.

The Canal & River Trust is responsible for 2,000 miles of waterways and associated historic industrial infrastructure in England and Wales. It is responsible for maintaining the navigability and safety of its waterways including reservoirs, embankments and other infrastructure. The Government recognises that the organisation has an important role to play in contributing to the Environmental Improvement Plan.

While there is no obligation on Ministers to fund the Canal & River Trust beyond 2027, I am aware that, subject to certain conditions being met, the Government will offer a new long-term funding package of over £400 million. To date, the Canal & River Trust has been supported with £550 million funding from the Government. With this further commitment, the charity will be supported with a further £590 million until 2037.

Since it was first created in 2012 as a private charity independent of the Government, Ministers have been clear that the Canal & River Trust should become progressively more self-sufficient financially. I understand that a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Canal & River Trust signed in June 2012 included the objective to “reduce dependence on Government Grant and to foster increasing self-sufficiency, by providing access to new charitable income streams and stimulating new efficiencies.” I am aware that the long-term £400 million funding deal for 2027 to 2037 continues that objective.

Finally, Defra has been discussing this with the charity for some time and has been offering support on how it can increase income from other sources, alongside continued funding from the Government. 

Please rest assured that I understand the importance of protecting Britain’s canal network and I will pass on your concerns to my Ministerial colleagues at Defra, during the course of my regular meetings with them.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Kind regards

Alan

 

Alan Mak MP

Member of Parliament for the Havant Constituency

Tory?

[Nightwatch]

Just now, IanD said:

Tory?

Funnily enough yes! It would be interesting what the response would be from a MP from another party.

 

I am going to respond to him with congratulations of his ability to cut and paste.

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Funnily enough yes! It would be interesting what the response would be from a MP from another party.

 

I am going to respond to him with congratulations of his ability to cut and paste.

 

I did ask if anyone had any response from a non-tory MP, but nobody replied yet...

 

(my guess is there's no party line so they'll have to actually write their own, so maybe a delay or no reply -- unless Labour (or any other party) have their own pre-packed reply, which seems unlikely...)

 

55 minutes ago, Tonka said:

So do we just give up?

I'd say no, keep nagging them -- if this becomes irritating enough they might actually have to think about what to say instead of regurgitating what is basically a press release.

 

It's possible there might be a better (less cut-and-paste) reply from opposition MPs, but nobody's posted one yet...

Edited July 20, 2023 by IanD

[Tonka]

3 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Funnily enough yes! It would be interesting what the response would be from a MP from another party.

 

I am going to respond to him with congratulations of his ability to cut and paste.

Well I feel cheated, I have emailed 2 Tory mp's. One for where I live and one for where I moor but have not received a reply as yet

[Nightwatch]

2 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Well I feel cheated, I have emailed 2 Tory mp's. One for where I live and one for where I moor but have not received a reply as yet

Perhaps their cut and paste function is defective.

[Tonka]

1 minute ago, Nightwatch said:

Perhaps their cut and paste function is defective.

Maybe I should try my Member of the Senedd

 

[Rob-M]

My local Tory MP response was that he had written to Defra and is awaiting a response so I didn't get a standard cut and paste response.

[IanD]

19 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

My local Tory MP response was that he had written to Defra and is awaiting a response so I didn't get a standard cut and paste response.

Unless Defra send him the same response that all the other MPs have replied with, and he then forwards it to you...

[magpie patrick]

On 19/07/2023 at 08:54, Grassman said:

 

I'm not so sure it'll do any good given this reply I've had from him

 

Many thanks for your e-mail regarding waterways funding.  I am grateful to you for contacting me on this issue.

 

I share your concern, but to talk about Government support for our waterways, which amounts to hundreds of millions of pounds as “small”, is fallacious.  Nevertheless, as chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Waterways, I agree with your more general points and I am actively in discussions with the Canal & River Trust, who are the main navigation authority, and with HM Treasury.

 

My thanks, again, for writing.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Fabricant

 

I won't have an MP until tomorrow as we are having a byelection today (Somerton and Frome) - the boat is moored in Moggs constituency and having met the minister for the 19th century twice I can't help feeling I'd be wasting my breath but... 

 

Hundreds of millions is over a period of several years, as the proposal is £40 million per annum so it takes five years even for the millions to be in the "hundreds" plural - is there any area of government spend where the total is as low as £40 million per annum. As a reference point, that's about one tenth the annual budget for Somerset County Council*, and there are 84 administrative counties in England. In other words, £40 million isn't actually very much 

 

*last year, for the county only, there were also five districts which had their own budgets.

[Mike Todd]

It would be interesting to know what suggestions the government has made for CaRT to increase its income from other sources. Might give some insight into what is actually going on and whether ministers and shadow ministers are in touch, however tenuously, with reality.

 

Anyone seen them?