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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications for bathing water status (a) have been made, (b) are pending, (c) have been granted and (d) have been rejected since January 2022.

Defra has received 21 applications for bathing water status since January 2022. Since this date, 2 sites have been designated as bathing waters, and we are currently consulting on designating 4 more sites.