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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of beach closures caused by pollution on tourism in coastal communities.

DCMS recognises the importance of clean and accessible beaches to the tourism offer in coastal communities.

For too long, water companies have discharged unacceptable levels of sewage which affect coastal beaches.

That is why the Water (Special Measures) Act will drive meaningful improvements in the performance and culture of the water industry and the Independent Water Commission will make recommendations to shape further action to transform how our water system works and clean up our waterways for good.

As part of Price Review 2024 (PR24), water companies will be delivering over £11 billion to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows across England and Wales which OfWat expects will reduce storm overflow discharges by 45% by 2030, compared to 2021 levels. Water companies are prioritising investment at storm overflows near Bathing Waters, with improvements being delivered at them all by 2035.”

While DCMS has not conducted a specific assessment of the impact of beach closures caused by pollution on tourism, we continue to engage with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which leads on water quality, to ensure that the environmental health of coastal areas supports a thriving tourism sector. Moreover, it stands to reason that if tourists feel our beaches aren’t safe or clean, this will impact tourism figures.