The article says The Guardian has leaked information that ministers are to be presented with a package for £130m of immediate cuts to DEFRA's budget with radical options for another £140m of savings, all in the cause of climate change.

The IWA says this would affect all DEFRA-funded bodies, including British Waterways (BW) and the Environment Agency (EA) and would be in addition to 5% year-on-year cuts already reported. The IWA says BW is allegedly at the top of the list for further cuts to its funding.

'This is bad news for the waterways in general and very disappointing for the IWA, as we have endeavoured to work with the new minister and BW to reach a constructive dialogue for firm commitments on future funding,' said John Fletcher IWA national chairman. 'Despite this, the waterways community now faces a £5m known budget deficit, a 33% or more licence increase, a trebling of fuel costs, 200 plus waterway job cuts, indeterminate maintenance cuts and now more budgetary cuts of an unknown nature.'

However, when Boating Business checked with BW, it seemed to be sanguine about the story. A spokesman told us that BW was unlikely to hear anything from DEFRA for a few weeks.