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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of (a) extending the bathing season on a case-by-case basis and (b) implementing year-round testing.

On 28 October 2025, the Department laid before Parliament an SI which incorporates reforms to modernise the Bathing Water Regulations. Core reform 3, which is due to come into force 21 November, introduces the discretion to determine a different bathing season for a site where appropriate, allowing more flexible, locally tailored bathing seasons that reflect when people use the site.

We are working with the Environment Agency on a pre-implementation research project. In this, we will consult with stakeholders to ensure we have considered all the relevant factors, including existing studies and other evidence like the EA’s recently published ‘Exploring recreational water use in England’ report, during development. The outcome of this research project will be set out in public guidance that will be published in due course.