Swimming Facilities Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
Ian Roome
Main Page: Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat - North Devon)Department Debates - View all Ian Roome's debates with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
Swimming Facilities
Ian Roome Excerpts(3 days, 17 hours ago)
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Ian Roome (North Devon) (LD)
I thank the hon. Member for Isle of Wight East (Joe Robertson) for securing this debate, which is important to my constituents in North Devon.
I will briefly raise the case of a brave young man from North Devon. His name is Oscar, he is 14 years old, and he recently saved the life of a man who got into trouble in the sea off Saunton Sands. Oscar learnt his lifesaving skills at Barnstaple swimming club and with Saunton Sands surf life saving club, but their local pool is run by a private operator and is among the most expensive in Devon. I thank my constituent Rob Enever for his hard work to highlight that there are no concessionary rates for low-income families. Many concerned parents have written to me, worried that basic access to swimming is becoming a question of the haves and have-nots. That means fewer children learning to swim, fewer thriving swimming clubs, and perhaps—if we cannot keep access to swimming available and affordable—fewer heroes like Oscar.
I hope that when the Government are able to look at this issue again, there is greater recognition of the public safety aspect to this whole question, especially in coastal areas such as mine in North Devon.