The Government is committed to ensuring that swimming and teaching water safety takes place in schools. Swimming is an important part of the National Curriculum, which requires that all pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided, and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of Key Stage 2 (age 11). It also requires that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety. Swimming and water safety remain compulsory in the National Curriculum following the recent curriculum review.

In March 2013 the Prime Minister announced additional ring-fenced funding of £150 million per year for each of 2013-14 and 2014-15 to support the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding was extended in the autumn statement 5 December 2013, Official Report, columns 1101-1113, to include 2015-16. Qualifying schools would be free to use this to extend their pupils' access to swimming lessons and water safety awareness.

Since 2011 Sport England has invested a total of almost £25.6 million in 98 public swimming facility projects. Annual breakdown of spend:

The information is as follows:

(a) Swimming participation data for young people aged five to 15 can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sat--2

(b) Swimming participation data for people age 16+ years can be found at:

http://www.sportengland.org/research/who-plays-sport/by-sport/who-plays-sport/

Since 2010, 707 local authority pools in England have implemented the ASA Aquatics Pathway. As sport is a devolved matter, ASA Aquatics Pathway schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the relevant Sports Council.

DCMS has not received any such representations from amateur swimming clubs. Where circumstances change around the delivery of learn to swim programmes, the ASA provides advice and support to clubs on a case-by-case basis.

Neither Sport England nor the Amateur Swimming Association collect data on the number of swimming clubs operating in local authority swimming pools.

Unsupervised entry into active or disused quarries leaves people vulnerable to the potential hazards that exist. Site operators of quarries have a general duty to ensure the safety of quarry excavations and tips; and that once abandoned the quarry is left in a safe condition. Failure to do so could lead to it being declared an environmental nuisance over which local authorities have enforcement powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In addition, mineral planning authorities have a range of enforcement powers to ensure that quarries are restored to an acceptable standard. On cessation of working and following restoration, responsibility reverts back to the landowner.

The minerals industry is working hard to highlight the dangers of entering quarries unsupervised, for example through the Minerals Product Association's "Stay Safe" campaign working in conjunction with local communities and teachers.

Swimming will remain a compulsory part of the new national curriculum. All pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of key stage 2. It is also required that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety.

The Department's website includes links to the website of the Amateur Swimming Association (the national governing body of swimming in England) which includes detailed advice for teachers about measures to ensure children's safety when swimming.

There is no separate element of school funding that relates specifically to the promotion of safe swimming. In March we committed cross-government funding of £150 million per year across the academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to improve the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding can be used to improve a school's provision of swimming.

Swimming will remain a compulsory part of the new national curriculum. All pupils must be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided and be able to use recognised swimming strokes by the end of key stage 2. It is also required that a child can demonstrate an understanding of water safety.

The Department's website includes links to the website of the Amateur Swimming Association (the national governing body of swimming in England) which includes detailed advice for teachers about measures to ensure children's safety when swimming.

There is no separate element of school funding that relates specifically to the promotion of safe swimming. In March we committed cross-government funding of £150 million per year across the academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to improve the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding can be used to improve a school's provision of swimming.

The Department for Education does not hold data concerning the number of schools offering swimming lessons either nationally or in Hampshire.

Under the national curriculum for physical education, it is a requirement that all primary school pupils should be taught to swim at least 25 metres unaided by the time they complete key stage 2.

In March 2013 the Prime Minister announced additional ring-fenced funding of £150 million a year for academic years 2013/14 and 2014/15 to support provision of PE and sport in primary schools. This funding can be used to improve the provision of swimming.

Sport England has given £20 million to the Amateur Swimming Association, to get more people swimming. The ASA are to increasing the number of swimming clubs for young people aged 14 and above, and improving after-school provision through new satellite clubs.

Data, from the latest DCMS Taking Part Survey, shows that, in 2012-13, 80.1% of 5 to 10-year-olds can swim (23.7% aided with floats/armbands and 56.4% 25 meters unaided) and 93.2% of 11 to 15-year-olds can swim.

I meet Scottish Ministers regularly to discuss a range of sports policy issues. Chief among those are the Glasgow Commonwealth games in 2014 and the Youth Olympic games bid for 2018, both of which include swimming competitions.

I do not know about a basic human right; it is a matter of common sense and safety. There is no doubt that there is a straightforward correlation between young people learning to swim and curbing deaths by drowning. I would encourage anybody to ensure that every single one of our young children is able to swim.

I commend the Government in England for making it compulsory at key stages 1 and 2 to teach children to swim. However, that entitlement does not exist in Scotland. There has been a call from the Amateur Swimming Association not only to train swimmers for the Commonwealth and Olympic games but for better swimming safety. It wants a national entitlement to swimming teaching. In 2011, six children died by accidental drowning in Scotland and 47 in the UK; the figure for adults in the UK in that year was 407. Surely it is a human right for people to learn to swim so that they do not drown if they fall into the water.

The purpose of designating bathing waters is to manage and reduce pollution in surface waters expected to be used by a large number of bathers. This ensures a proportionate approach to protecting bather health. Defra has set out clear guidance on the evidence it requires to consider designating waters and this can be viewed on the Government publications website under “designation and de-designation of bathing waters”.

No application has been received in relation to the Thames and Defra is currently unaware of any stretches that would meet its designation criteria.

Organisers should contact the appropriate local environmental health department, Public Health England and the Environment Agency. This will ensure they receive advice appropriate to their circumstances.

The Secretary of State was recently advised by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) of the imminent publication of its 2013 state of the nation report on school swimming, “Learning the Lesson”. I expect to meet the chief executive of the association shortly.

ASA was one of a wide number of bodies consulted by the Department prior to the Prime Minister's announcement of new funding for sport and physical education in primary schools in March. In the last month the Secretary of State has also received correspondence from two MPs, both drawing his attention to the ASA report, and from a primary school pupil who asked him if her primary academy could have more swimming lessons.

Swimming has been a compulsory part of the primary national curriculum since 1992, and as such schools should plan to fund its provision from their core budgets.

In March 2013 the Prime Minister announced additional ring-fenced funding of £150 million per year for each of 2013-14 and 2014-15 to support the provision of PE and sport in primary schools. Qualifying schools would be free to use this to extend their pupils' access to swimming lessons.