6480. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: If you carry the fish tank analogy forward, you should be looking to decide what plants you can usefully place below the surface of the water in order to assist purification.

  6481. MR CARTWRIGHT: My Lord, I would not wish to answer on behalf of British Waterways, but I believe an environmental plan has been prepared. The dock will be filled with mud, so there is a very small amount of actual water. The mud is being pumped from the works area into that area, so it is a mud reservoir with some water—

  6482. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: Perhaps we should turn to the viability of the church.

  6483. MR CARTWRIGHT: All I was going to say is I believe there is an environmental plan in place to ensure that that is dealt with.

  6484. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: You are happy with it?

  6485. MR CARTWRIGHT: I am fairly comfortable with that element of it, and the protection of the vessel.

  6486. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: When I asked Mr Mould about whether the land-locked area of the dock allowed for the water to be replaced, the answer was no, but had it done so it would have helped keep that purity going. It would have been a positive, not a negative.

  6487. MR CARTWRIGHT: Absolutely, my Lord.

  6488. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: You do not have that advantage. Let us take the church.

  6489. MR CARTWRIGHT: I am not entirely certain as to whether it is entirely supported by contributions. I believe that there are funds from the parish but I believe that, also, the parishioners and the users of the church contribute towards its well-being.

  6490. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: If would seem to be something of a factor, if you are looking in five years' time to be able to get back to where you are now, that you would want to know the church will survive, and you talked of its potential to expand as there is a big demand on its presence, and it would seem unfortunate if it was reversed during this five year period. I wonder whether that is included in Mr Mould's perception of where and when compensation would apply.

  6491. MR CARTWRIGHT: I would be grateful if the Promoters were to consider that factor on our behalf.

  6492. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: Back to you, Mr Mould.

  6493. MR MOULD: First of all, just to be clear on the question of water quality, there are reliable means of maintaining water quality without the need to recharge it or replace it. I have been told, whilst you have been hearing Mr Cartwright's helpful words, that the aeration process that I think he touched on is one that we would contemplate using where necessary in this case. I do not think that is a problem; I think that is something that is manageable and can be dealt with under relatively straightforward construction practices.

  6494. As regards the future of the church, what I have been at pains to point out is that the impact of the scheme in terms of loss of navigation rights, effectively, keeps the boats in their present situation throughout the five years or so of the construction phase of the works. We do not affect the continuing operation of the church in its current location in any physical sense; we do not affect people's rights of access to and from the church; they will continue to be able to go and worship at the church as and when they do today. All that we will affect, in relation to the church, is that the church will not be able to go in and out of the dock for a period. I am not aware that the vessel which accommodates the church is in the habit of moving in and out of the dock on a frequent basis at the present time; I think it is very rare, actually.

  6495. MR CARTWRIGHT: My Lord, if I can just answer that question, the church is still an operating vessel with its own engine and propellers, etc, and was designed in such a way that it could be removed for dry-docking purposes and maintenance, but there was no intention that it should navigate.

  6496. I would, however, like to interject and say that in respect of The Barge Leven, during the period we have owned the vessel it has been chartered for a number of functions over the years, including the opening of new buildings and for the periods of The Boat Show, etc. So another form of income for the vessel has always been the fact that it could be chartered. In recent years that has not been the case but there is no reason why if the opportunity arose we would not want to take advantage of that. Again, loss of navigation would remove that opportunity from us. I am mindful of the fact that the Promoters, in the response letter, indicated that there were some questions regarding compensation for loss of navigation, and I believe that today we have opened that door a little further and created an opportunity to develop that, for which I am most grateful. I am more than happy to take that discussion forward with the Promoter.

  6497. CHAIRMAN: It is always going to depend upon the facts.

  6498. MR CARTWRIGHT: Absolutely, my Lord.

  6499. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: I am grateful to both you gentlemen for your answers. I think my conclusion on it is that I would like to note that I think the Promoter probably needs to take a rather broader view of the area as regards possible compensation arising out of the alternative uses of the other boats alongside.