Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department will extend the definition of bathers to include other water user types in the context of the Bathing Waters Regulations.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Bathing waters are one of the most visible ways in which the public interacts with the water environment, and so it is critical that appropriate regulations meet the needs of water users and those involved with managing bathing water sites. In the November – December 2024 consultation on bathing water reforms, we asked respondents about wider reforms including the expansion of the definition of ‘bathers’ to include other water users and introducing multiple monitoring points at sites. The Government response to the consultation, published in March 2025, outlined that a clear majority of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with this proposal and many offered suggestions of what water users should be included. The Department is now exploring how evidence to support the delivery of these wider reforms, including expanding the definition of a bather might be developed. The timeline for detailed policy development and research will depend on the outcome of initial scoping work. Defra will engage with local and national stakeholders as this work progresses.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the upcoming Land Use Framework will include measures to improve public access to nature.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government consulted on land use in England from January to April this year.

The consultation recognised the importance of increasing responsible access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing. It stated Government’s intention to support access to green and blue spaces in urban and rural environments, and green routes for active travel to and through these spaces.

The responses to this consultation, and feedback from supporting workshops, are being analysed. These responses will inform the preparation of the Land Use Framework, which will be published early next year.

The Government has also announced, as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, that we will bring forward an Access to Nature Green Paper to consult on proposals to improve and expand public access to the outdoors.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she intends to publish a white paper on access to nature.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government has announced, as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, that we will bring forward an Access to Nature Green Paper to consult on proposals to improve and expand public access to the outdoors. The Green Paper will set out a range of policy options and invite views from stakeholders and the public, helping us to gather evidence and test approaches before decisions are made. This consultation will play an important role in shaping the development of future policy in this area.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he will commit extra funding for social prescribing, including to support individuals to engage in nature-based interventions and activities.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government has underlined its commitment to taking a preventive approach to address health inequalities.  We are determined to improve people’s physical and mental health to support them to live longer and healthier lives and we recognise the role that social prescribing can play in this.

The Department funds social prescribing link workers in primary care through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme.  In March 2025, the Department agreed a further year of grant funding for the National Academy for Social Prescribing, securing £1.5 million to advance and expand social prescribing.  Future funding allocations have yet to be confirmed.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs leads on green social prescribing and, together with Natural England, has recently invested £300,000 to track the uptake and impact of green social prescribing using primary care data. The evidence will inform future policy for the spread and scale of nature-based health interventions.

Schools Residential Outdoor Education (Scotland) Bill (No. 2)

Postal workers and Royal Mail staff

Horton Cemetery

Tenth anniversary of Storm Desmond

Cumulative disruption proposals and the right to protest

25th Anniversary of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000

Found: Climate and Nature Bill, currently before Parliament as a private member’s Bill introduced by Roz Savage

Found: Julia Buckley; Jonathon Davies; Barry Gardiner; Sarah Gibson; Chris Hinchliff; Martin Rhodes; Dr Roz Savage

Found: Julia Buckley; Jonathon Davies; Barry Gardiner; Sarah Gibson; Chris Hinchliff; Martin Rhodes; Dr Roz Savage

Found: Julia Buckley; Jonathon Davies; Barry Gardiner; Sarah Gibson; Chris Hinchliff; Martin Rhodes; Dr Roz Savage