Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) direct and (b) indirect public funding the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has received for programmes designed to increase visitor numbers from ethnic minority and underrepresented communities since 2009; and what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the provisions for the safety of those visitors at popular swimming and riverside locations.
Answered by Mary Creagh
Between 2022 and 2026, England’s 44 Protected Landscapes, including the Yorkshire Dales, received £15.47 million capital funding under the Access for All programme. The programme was designed to make Protected Landscapes more accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities by funding access infrastructure upgrades such as resurfacing paths, replacement of inaccessible barriers with gates, changing places, and provision of physical and online guides. This Government will provide a further £6.8 million capital funding this financial year through Protected Landscapes’ core funding to pay for access improvements. Decisions on how this funding will be spent will be made by Protected Landscapes based on local access needs.
Water safety and drowning prevention in England is a shared responsibility across government, local authorities, emergency services, landowners, and water safety organisations, including our Protected Landscapes. The National Water Safety Forum leads on drowning prevention strategy, and a new strategy for 2026-2036 is due to be launched soon. Defra’s primary role in water safety relates to ensuring that the water environment itself is safe and healthy.
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