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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 9th December 2025 to question 97007 on Bathing water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025, when she will publish the detail on Bathing water status reforms included in the Water White Paper.

The Water White Paper sets out wide-ranging reforms to the water system, intended to clean up our rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025 do not feature in the white paper, but form part of this wider reform, as an early step towards these same objectives.

In our response to the consultation on amending the bathing water regulations, the Government noted the support for expanding the definition of a bather to include other recreational water users. Work has begun on an evidence review to consider the environmental and public health implications of any change.

Link to 97007: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament