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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste at the University of Exeter on bathing water monitoring and standards.

The Chief Scientist of the Environment Agency presented at the ‘Safe to Swim Forum’ meeting at the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste in September 2025 on the Environment Agency’s science relating to bathing waters. Existing practices for monitoring and classification 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.