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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps she has taken with her Cabinet colleagues to ensure that all children of (a) primary and (b) secondary school age receive tuition in (i) swimming, (ii) swimming life-saving skills and (iii) water safety.

Swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. Swimming and water safety are also vital life skills.

The Department for Education is responsible for the national curriculum that sets out that all primary schools must provide swimming instruction. All primary schools in England receive PE and sport premium funding, which can be used to purchase support from organisations who can assist schools in overcoming barriers to the delivery of school swimming and water safety.

Last academic year, the Department for Education’s programme to support schools to open their facilities enabled 101 schools to reopen their pools or extend the amount of swimming offered to pupils. Phase three of the Opening School Facilities programme will look to support schools with pools to maximise their usage.

New water safety resources have been made available to schools by the National Water Safety Forum, supporting teachers to deliver water safety in a classroom environment.

Alongside this Sport England has invested £12,775,274 in swimming and diving projects since April 2019, which includes £9,360,002 to Swim England.