Middle Level Bill — Clause 4 — Charges for Vessels Used by People Registered as Disabled — 28 Feb 2018 at 18:30

The majority of MPs voted not to exempt vessels used by disabled people from charges for use of the Middle Level waterways. The Middle Level waterways are in Peterborough, Fenland, Huntingdon and Cambridgeshire.

MPs were considering the Middle Level Bill^[1].

The explanatory memorandum to the Bill^[2] states:

• "The Middle Level is the central and largest section of the Great Level of the Fens, which was reclaimed by drainage in the mid-17th Century. The Middle Level covers parts of the City of Peterborough, the districts of Fenland and Huntingdonshire in Cambridgeshire, and the borough of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk in Norfolk. It is bounded by the river Nene to the northwest, the river Great Ouse to the east, and by low hills to the south and west."

The explanatory memorandum's section on Clause 4, which was the subject of the amendment rejected in this vote states^[2]:

• "Clause 4 provides that the Commissioners may fix and recover charges for the use of any waterway by a vessel or for the provision of services and facilities in respect of the waterways and banks. It also enables the Commissioners to charge for the registration of vessels if a registration scheme has been introduced in byelaws made under clauses 10 and 11."

The amendment rejected in this vote was:

• Amendment 14, page 6, line 11,
• “at end add
• ‘(8) No charge shall be payable in respect of the use of a waterway by a vessel being used by a person who is registered disabled’.”

Subclause (3) of Clause 4^[3] empowers the Middle Level commissioners to waive, or remove charges for disabled people, or others, should they decide to do so:

• The Commissioners may revise, waive or remove any charge fixed under subsection (1), and different charges may be fixed for different cases or classes of case.

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• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Middle Level Bill
• [2] Section of the Middle Level Bill (as amended in Committee, dated 30 January 2018) containing the explanatory memorandum
• [3] Clause 4 of the Middle Level Bill as at the time of the vote

Debate in Parliament |