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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) minimum and (b) maximum number of swimmers, children paddling, and other beach and water users has been in the user survey for a successful application for bathing water status.

Defra counts adults swimming and children both swimming or paddling as bathers when assessing applications for bathing water designation. According to our records, the lowest average number of bathers per day that has been provided in the user survey for a successful application for bathing water designation is 32 (the application for the River Wharfe at Cromwheel, Ilkley). The highest average number of bathers per day that has been provided in the user survey for a successful bathing water application is, according to our records, 2,280 (Upton Towans in Cornwall).