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Water: Standards

Asked by Freddie van MierloLiberal DemocratDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 20 November 2025UIN 90952

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 88109 on Bathing Water Regulations 2013, what her planned timetable is for that policy development and research.

Answered by Emma Hardy

DEFRA is engaged in a programme of work to ensure the Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025 can be implemented effectively, including feasibility studies to support Core Reform 2 and a pre-implementation research project on Core Reform 3. In addition, the Department is exploring how any evidence to support the delivery of wider reforms, including expanding the definition of bathers to include other water users and introducing multiple monitoring points at sites, might be developed. The timeline for detailed policy development and research will depend on the outcome of initial scoping work. DEFRA will engage with local and national stakeholders as this work progresses.

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