Who are they?
I understand there are 35 members on the Canal & River Trust committee but only four are so called ‘boaters' representatives, writes Keith Gudgin.
Can anybody state here who/what the other 31 represent (either supposedly or actually)?
How many
How many of the committee are paid CaRT officers/executives etc? How many of the committee are paid non-CaRT officers/executives etc?
How many of the committee are non-paid non-CaRT officers/executives etc?
How many represent outside interests/bodies?
Who and what outside bodies do they represent?
How many, and who, are actually voted onto the committee by the public?
What are the rules for dealing with conflict of interests in committee?
I have tried to find this information on the internet without success. Maybe I didn't look in the right place but I did try.
Who are they?
We may be looking at just the 'boaters' here but who are all the others who are voting on these matters? and who do they represent? We can only get a clear picture when we have all the information.
As for the boaters on the CaRT committee being from just one organisation, and that not being mainly a boater organisation, could we not have a condition that the boater representatives on the CaRT committee are broken down along the lines of: (and this is only a suggestion so don't shoot me down in flames, just put your own suggestions forward instead.)
For members being one of each of the following categories:
- 1 Continuous cruiser
- 1 House-boater/Marina moored boater
- 1 Share-boater/Holiday boater
- 1 Marina/hirer company representative
Own/part own a boat
Minimum condition is that they must own/part own, and hold a licence for, their own boat on CaRT waters for the duration of their membership of the CaRT committee. Those only holding a non-CaRT licence/permit will not be allowed to stand as a boater representative on the committee. If you are on a committee as a specific user representative then you should at least be a user of what you represent in the area you represent it.
No committee members are to represent any other organisation when in committee but they must at all times declare any such other organisation membership to the CaRT committee (either paid or unpaid). They will not be barred from being members of other organisations but they are not allowed to represent them in any capacity whilst they are a member of the CaRT committee.
Conflict
Also they should not be allowed to vote in committee on matters in which they have a conflict of, or another interest (paid or not), and this includes officers/executives etc. (Helps stops conflict of interests etc.)
Perhaps a suggestion that if a member of the CaRT committee boaters representatives feels that he/she does not meet the above requirements and does not fully represent the boating community without any suggestion of such conflict of interests then he/she might just perhaps feel it is time to do the right thing for the good of the boating community that they are supposed to represent.