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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to reduce the presence of e-coli in coastal waters.

The Environment Agency leads work to reduce pollution of coastal waters in England.

E.coli is monitored in coastal waters that are protected as bathing waters or shellfish protected areas.

Over the next five years, water companies in England plan to invest £350 million in meeting the standards of the revised Bathing Water Directive (2006/7/EC), and planning for work to improve shellfish protected areas will be finalised later this year. The Environment Agency will continue to work with land managers to reduce agricultural pollution, and with those able to take action on diffuse pollution.

Responsibility for water quality in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is devolved to their respective administrations.