Asked by: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help reduce the risk of children contracting Shigella infections while paddling at beaches in the North West.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Designated bathing waters display signs indicating the quality of water for bathing, ranging from poor to excellent. These classifications are updated annually based on regular water quality sampling taken over the preceding bathing season (15 May -30 September).
The Environment Agency (EA) do not test for Shigella in their samples, but test for E.Coli and intestinal enterococci at Bathing Water sites as these organisms are the most reliable indicators of faecal contamination. Additional information on water quality and bathing advice is provided daily on the EA’s website Swimfo during the bathing season to help determine if it’s safe to swim.
Where bathing water quality is not consistently excellent the EA makes pollution risk forecasts each day using an analysis of previous samples and notifies the public through the Swimfo website and on signage at the site.
Asked by: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of failures in sewage treatment, storm overflow management, or water quality monitoring on the level cases of Shigella-causing infections among children at beaches in the North West.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The department is taking action to rebuild the water network to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. For example, in one of the largest infrastructure projects in this country’s history, £104 billion is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and sewage treatment works across the country. Water companies are investing over £11 billion in PR24, a record amount, to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows across England and Wales over the next five years. For England, this equates to over £10 billion to improve over 2,500 storm overflows.
Our landmark Water (Special Measures) Act will also introduce independent monitoring of every sewerage outlet, with water companies required to publish real-time data for all emergency overflows.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) undertakes routine monitoring of notifiable diseases and causative agents which includes Shigella species. There is no evidence of Shigella linked to exposure to recreational waters at beaches in the North West.
Asked by: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) parents and (b) local authorities are adequately informed of the risks of Shigella-causing bacterial infections from paddling at beaches in the North West.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) analyses samples at least monthly, from every bathing water throughout the bathing water season. However, in practice, the EA samples more frequently than this to reduce the risk of misclassification.
The EA publishes sampling information during the bathing season on Swimfo to inform the general public of water quality and provide daily pollution risk warnings. This includes details on all bathing waters, including classifications, pollution sources, and seasonal water quality results.
Local Authorities use this information to provide bathing water quality information on physical signs at each designated bathing water, including their formal classification and a link to online details. The EA samples are tested for different bacteria including E.Coli and intestinal enterococci as the most reliable indictors of faecal contamination, but this does not include Shigella.
Asked by: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on the incidence of Shigella infections associated with recreational water use at UK beaches; and what assessment he has made on how trends in the North West compare with other regions.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) undertakes routine monitoring of notifiable diseases and causative agents which includes Shigella species. There is no evidence of Shigella linked to exposure to seawater in the North West.
The Environment Agency (EA) collects up to 20 samples at all 451 designated bathing waters during the bathing water season (15 May – 30 September). These samples are tested for E.Coli and intestinal enterococci at Bathing Water sites as these organisms are the most reliable indicators of faecal contamination.
Existing practices for monitoring and classification of bathing waters in the UK mirror the European Commission’s Bathing Water Directive which is based on the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for management of recreational waters. Current EA monitoring exceeds the minimum requirements of the Bathing Water Directive at all Bathing Waters.
Asked by: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the causes of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infections linked to seawater exposure at beaches in the North West.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) undertakes routine monitoring of notifiable diseases and causative agents which includes E. coli. There is no evidence of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli infections linked to exposure to recreational waters at beaches in the North West.
Asked by: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Government response to the Fair Funding Review consultation published on 20 November 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of cumulative Dedicated Schools Grant deficits on local authorities’ ability to deliver services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of Dedicated Schools Grant deficits on their accounts.
Government will set out its ambitious plans for reform of SEND provision early in the new year to deliver a sustainable system which supports children and families effectively. The 2025 Spending Review provided investment for SEND reform. Future funding implications will be managed within the overall government DEL envelope, such that we would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds, once the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.
Asked by: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities with Dedicated Schools Grant deficits.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government recognises that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of Dedicated Schools Grant deficits on their accounts.
Government will set out its ambitious plans for reform of SEND provision early in the new year to deliver a sustainable system which supports children and families effectively. The 2025 Spending Review provided investment for SEND reform. Future funding implications will be managed within the overall government DEL envelope, such that we would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds, once the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.
Asked by: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Fair Funding Review methodology will take account of historic and projected cost pressures arising from SEND demand and associated Dedicated Schools Grant deficits when determining funding allocations to local authorities.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Fair Funding review will introduce a fairer, evidence-based funding system that reflects local circumstances and directs more support to the most deprived areas, ensuring the best value for money for government and taxpayers. New methodology will ensure funding is distributed to the places that need it most, using our most up-to-date assessment of need and demand across the system. These updates will account for local circumstances, including for different ability to raise income locally from council tax, and the variation in the cost delivering services.
There is no direct link between Dedicated Schools Grants deficits and allocations following the Fair Funding Review. However, Government recognises that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of deficits on their accounts, and will address this outside of the Fair Funding Review
Ambitious plans for reform of special educational needs provision will be set out early in the new year to deliver a sustainable system which supports children and families effectively. Future funding implications will be managed within the overall government DEL envelope, such that we would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds, once the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.
Asked by: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of unresolved Dedicated Schools Grant deficits on the ability of local authorities such as Bolton Council to benefit from a redistribution of resources arising from the Fair Funding Review.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Fair Funding review will introduce a fairer, evidence-based funding system that reflects local circumstances and directs more support to the most deprived areas, ensuring the best value for money for government and taxpayers. New methodology will ensure funding is distributed to the places that need it most, using our most up-to-date assessment of need and demand across the system. These updates will account for local circumstances, including for different ability to raise income locally from council tax, and the variation in the cost delivering services.
There is no direct link between Dedicated Schools Grants deficits and allocations following the Fair Funding Review. However, Government recognises that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of deficits on their accounts, and will address this outside of the Fair Funding Review
Ambitious plans for reform of special educational needs provision will be set out early in the new year to deliver a sustainable system which supports children and families effectively. Future funding implications will be managed within the overall government DEL envelope, such that we would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds, once the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.
Asked by: Kirith Entwistle (Labour - Bolton North East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications of Dedicated Schools Grant deficits, including that of Bolton Council, for the implementation of the Fair Funding Review’s objective of directing resources to areas with the greatest levels of need.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Fair Funding review will introduce a fairer, evidence-based funding system that reflects local circumstances and directs more support to the most deprived areas, ensuring the best value for money for government and taxpayers. New methodology will ensure funding is distributed to the places that need it most, using our most up-to-date assessment of need and demand across the system. These updates will account for local circumstances, including for different ability to raise income locally from council tax, and the variation in the cost delivering services.
There is no direct link between Dedicated Schools Grants deficits and allocations following the Fair Funding Review. However, Government recognises that local authorities are continuing to face significant pressure from the impact of deficits on their accounts, and will address this outside of the Fair Funding Review
Ambitious plans for reform of special educational needs provision will be set out early in the new year to deliver a sustainable system which supports children and families effectively. Future funding implications will be managed within the overall government DEL envelope, such that we would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds, once the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28. We will set out further details on our plans to support local authorities with historic and accruing deficits through the upcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.