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Government Response to the Consultation on Reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013

My honourable friend, the Minister for Water and Flooding, Emma Hardy MP, has made the following Written Statement.

In November last year, the Government, jointly with Welsh Government, announced the consultation on Reforms to The Bathing Water Regulations 2013, in the first shake-up to our bathing waters since the Regulations were introduced. These reforms include removing strict automatic de-designation, amending the designation process to include feasibility of improvement as a criterion for designation, and moving the current fixed dates of the monitored bathing season into guidance.

The Government received clear public support for its proposed three proposed reforms, nine technical amendments, and two wider reforms. These reforms align with the recommendations made in the Office of Environmental Protection’s report on the implementation of the Bathing Water Regulations 2013. We now intend to proceed with their implementation. We will also begin robust research and development on the wider reforms to see how they can best be implemented in future. Defra will work closely with the Environment Agency to ensure the new measures are implemented effectively and innovatively.

We are also reopening the bathing water application window in 2025. From May, communities in England can apply for new bathing waters, meaning that some additional sites may be designated ahead of the 2026 season. Prospective sites will be assessed against the Government’s newly reformed standards, set to become law later this year. Further details of the application process will be published in guidance at the start of the 2025 bathing season.

Updating bathing water regulations is part of the wider action the Government is taking to fix our water system. To meet the scale of the challenge, and deliver transformational change, the Government last year launched an Independent Commission into the water sector to review its regulatory system. On 27 February, the Commission launched a wide-ranging Call for Evidence, which is open for views from all interested parties until 23 April. The Commission is focused on recommendations to strengthen the water sector and the regulatory framework, whereas the planned reforms to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 are focused on specific improvements to the operation and management of the bathing water system, so that more people have the opportunity to experience the benefits of our beautiful waters.