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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to give the public a right of responsible access to all rivers in England.

The Government recognises the importance of access to nature for people’s health and well-being. There is already public access to regulated rivers owned and managed by navigation authorities, available through their licensing regimes. We are considering our approach to improving access to unregulated rivers and are committed to working with stakeholders as this develops.