'Boat Bill' to be introduced for Britons living on waterways as they miss out on housing rights and healthcare

Published: 22:05, 17 July 2026 | Updated: 22:18, 17 July 2026 Boaters who live on Britain's waterways are missing out on housing rights and access to healthcare, a peer has warned. Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville told the Lords that people who move from place to place often struggle to access services because they lack a permanent address. She brought the Rights of Boat Dwellers Bill to the Lords on Friday, where peers agreed at second reading to consider her proposal in more detail on a later date. The Bill would create a new duty for ministers 'to ensure that boat dwellers have equal access' to services such as healthcare, education, financial services such as banking and the right to vote. The draft new law, if passed, would also block marina, port and river authorities from seizing boats, 'if that action would have the effect of infringing on boat dwellers' right to a secure home'. Lady Bakewell, a Liberal Democrat peer, said people who live on the water often 'have no postal address and cannot receive mail in the way which everyone else takes for granted'. She added: 'Boat dwellers who travel have no access to health services. 'As you need a permanent postcode to register with a GP, a marina or canalside address is not accepted.' Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville told the Lords that people who move from place to place often struggle to access services because they lack a permanent address She later said: 'Governments from both sides of the House believe that boat dwellers are not 'a housing issue'. 'This may well be true but it is certainly an accommodation issue and one where those who choose this lifestyle should not be looked down on or ignored.' Shadow housing minister Lord Jamieson said: 'The principle that people should not be denied access to public services because they live on a boat is one that I think we can all share across this House.' But the Conservative frontbencher said while his party backed Lady Bakewell's objective, he feared the Bill would hamper mooring operators' efforts to deal with boaters who break the rules. 'Where boaters fail to comply with licence conditions or mooring anchorage regulations, the relevant authorities must be able to take appropriate enforcement action,' he said. 'However, many of the provisions in this Bill would impede their ability to do so. 'The Bill also seeks to elevate a boat dweller's right to a secure home above many existing statutory responsibilities relating to the management of the waterways – in doing so, it risks creating considerable legal uncertainty.' Lord Jamieson, who said his brother-in-law lived on a boat, added: 'If authorities are deprived of the ability to manage that resource effectively, there's a risk of congestion, tension between different users and unintended consequences for the very communities this Bill seeks to assist.' Lady Bakewell, a Liberal Democrat peer, said people who live on the water often 'have no postal address and cannot receive mail in the way which everyone else takes for granted' The Bill also does not make changes to council or second home tax rules. Lord Jamieson said: 'If, in effect, all boats have a right of residence, would they all be subject to council tax or second home tax? I don't have the answer but I think it's a question that needs answering.' Housing minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage said ministers were 'tackling insecurities across all housing sectors', including on the water. She told peers: 'The Government does not consider that the proposed legislation would achieve its intended outcome.' Lady Taylor also said, 'there is no regulatory requirement to prove identity, address or an NHS number' to access a GP appointment, with advice on the NHS website for patients who are turned away from surgeries. She added the Government's opposition to the draft law was not based on a 'lack of respect' for Lady Bakewell's views but instead 'a lack of clarity on what this Bill is intending to achieve'. She said 'with a fair wind, to use a boating expression', she would continue to discuss with Lady Bakewell how 'to make things better for boat dwellers'. The Rights of Boat Dwellers Bill was one of four private members' bills which peers agreed to scrutinise further. – The Cohabitation Rights Bill, designed to create a 'framework of rights and responsibilities' for couples and co-parents who live together in the event of their separation or death. – The Genocide Determination Bill, to allow UK courts to make a 'preliminary determination' that an atrocity is happening before genocides are referred to international courts. – The Conduct of Undercover Policing and Surveillance Operatives Bill, to stop undercover intelligence agents from having sexual relationships with people they are investigating.