ACCESS FOR CANOEISTS

That this House applauds British Canoeing for securing the staging of the Canoe Slalom World Cup in 2019 and the Canoe Slalom European Championships in 2020 at Lee Valley White Water Centre and celebrates the notable success of Team GB Canoeists in recent years; notes that more than 1.9 million paddlers in Britain have uncontested access to only 1,400 miles of inland water in England and Wales, which is less than 4 per cent of the total 41,000 miles of waterways that are more than 3 metres wide in Britain; commends the publication of the Access and Environment Charter entitled 'Clear Access Clear Waters' by British Canoeing stressing the need of all stakeholders to work together to increase activity on our waterways while protecting the natural environment; notes that while the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2002 only incorporates land, the Scottish Land Reform Act 2003 and its supporting Scottish Outdoor Access Code includes waterways, ensuring that paddlers have the same rights as walkers and access to all Scotland's waterways; and calls on the Government to legislate to establish rights of access for paddlers and others to water in England and Wales that is not under the management of a statutory navigation authority.