Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to improve access to swimming pools.

The Government recognises the importance of improving access to pools however the responsibility primarily lies at Local Authorities level. Swimming is a crucial life skill, as well as a great way to stay fit, and I encourage Local Authorities to invest in swimming facilities.

In response to the pandemic, the government supported the reopening of local authority swimming pools through the £100 million National Leisure Recovery Fund.

Sport England has also awarded over £24 million to swimming and diving projects since April 2017.