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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to improve (a) public access, (b) environmental protections and (c) biodiversity enhancement for (i) rivers, (ii) lakes and (iii) other inland waterways.

The government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors including blue spaces for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure this is safe and appropriate. We are currently developing policy working closely with key stakeholders to improve access to nature, in line with our ambitious manifesto commitments to create nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England. This includes access onto unregulated inland waterways, taking account of environmental protection and biodiversity enhancement.