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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve water safety in coastal areas.

Responsibilities for water safety sit with various government departments and agencies including the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs and the Health and Safety Executive, which has produced the Prevention of drowning document (link). In addition, The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for enforcing the safety of boats used in navigation, including people on them, and the safety of the crew. Together with the Department for Transport they produced the Maritime Safety Action Plan (link).

The National Governing Bodies are responsible for providing advice and guidance for how to participate in their sports safely. The Government provides support to these organisations through funding from Sport England.