Water Safety Education 2025-06-19

Ms Dollimore supported the debate by discussing the closure of a primary school pool in her constituency, leading to fewer children being able to swim. She agreed with Mr Paffey that more swimming lessons and facilities are needed.

Mr Holmes emphasised the need for national policy ensuring young people can access local leisure facilities at a discounted rate, noting the reduction in school pools over the past 20 years.

Mr Shannon highlighted the need for greater partnership work between the Department and councils to identify risks such as obstructions in lakes and rip currents on beaches, to ensure that swimmers are aware of potential dangers.

Ms Voaden agreed with Darren Paffey that teaching children how to survive at sea is crucial. She cited an example from her constituency where the local lifeboat saves about 60 people annually, highlighting the importance of understanding water dangers beyond swimming.

Mr Bhatti shared a tragic incident from his constituency where four young boys died while playing near an iced-over lake. He emphasised the suddenness of such tragedies and highlighted the importance of education, urging the Government to update the curriculum to include water safety.

Ms Dodds stressed that water safety is vital in her constituency due to numerous bodies of water and a young population. She advocated for better signage, supervised swimming programmes, and education about the dangers of cold water shock and other hazards.

In the UK, more than 200 lives are lost to accidental drowning annually. According to the Royal Life Saving Society UK, one in three children leave primary school unable to swim properly. This statistic is particularly concerning as disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to receive swimming lessons. In Esher and Walton, there have been three tragic drowning deaths in four years. Nell Hickman led a local water safety campaign installing safety signage and providing training on how to stay parallel to the riverbank instead of swimming across the Thames. She advocates for embedding water safety education into children’s curriculum.

In Somerset, there are 8,463 miles of rivers presenting a danger not only to swimmers but also to those who might experience vehicle accidents in water. The speaker calls for the Minister to ensure that water safety is integrated into the secondary school curriculum.

In Salford, countless lives have been lost due to young people being unaware of dangers within ship canals. She advocates for free access to supervised swimming areas and for the Government to ensure water safety education on the national curriculum as a statutory requirement. Furthermore, she calls on the government to adopt NFCC recommendations regarding inland water rescue response and prevention.

Congratulates his hon. Friend Darren Paffey for securing the debate and pays tribute to Joe’s mum for her ongoing work to reduce drowning incidents on waterways across the country.

Emphasises the importance of water safety education, citing his constituency's challenges with navigating the River Hamble. Highlights the role of independent lifeboats in responding to emergencies and advocating for partnerships between schools and local leisure centres to deliver swimming lessons.

Discusses a recent tragic incident involving an 11-year-old constituent's death on the River Thames. Advocates for national water safety campaigns, statutory duty for fire and rescue services, and comprehensive education programmes targeting schools and youth groups.

Outlines local efforts to enhance water safety in Shrewsbury following multiple deaths along the River Severn. Describes initiatives like safer route signage, solar lighting installation, free online courses for schools and clubs, and poster campaigns in pubs and clubs.

In Shrewsbury, efforts were made to reduce alcohol-related deaths by creating educational videos about water safety, training bar staff in mental health response, working with street pastors, funding CCTV, setting up the Shrewsbury Rangers scheme, and employing taxi marshals. The number of deaths has reduced slightly due to these initiatives.

The MP discusses a recent tragic incident where one child lost their life while swimming in the River Thames at Gravesend, expressing condolences and gratitude towards those who worked tirelessly to save lives. Emphasises the need for public awareness campaigns on social media, educational programmes from charities like RNLI, and collaborations with local authorities and emergency services to improve water safety.

The MP addresses risks associated with swimming in bodies of water such as Shoal Hill quarry and Chasewater reservoir. He highlights the importance of proper preparation, education on safe swimming practices, and emphasises the availability of open water swimming groups offering safety measures like compulsory tow floats and one-to-one coaching to ensure safer experiences.

The MP highlights the impact of drowning incidents on her constituency, emphasising the need for greater awareness regarding social media promotion of hidden water spots without safety information. Urges collaboration between government and social media platforms to enhance water safety education and highlight dangers effectively.

She supports opening more lidos across the UK but notes the need to make them affordable. She highlights Scotland's high accidental drowning rate, which is about three times that of England, and calls for statutory requirements to provide swimming lessons in schools.

He advocates for further investment in education to unlock the potential of safely being in, on or near water. He emphasises the need for a national water safety strategy and supports campaigns such as PaddleSafe which provide simple safety messages.

She highlights that austerity has affected access to swimming lessons, with only 35% of children from low-income families able to swim 25 metres unaided compared to 82% from affluent families. She supports mandatory requirements for swimming and water safety in the national curriculum.

Water safety is critical in Lancashire due to its geography with rivers, coasts, quarries. The Ribble Rivers Trust works on improving safety and education. Universal water safety education is necessary for a transient population. Children should learn water confidence through play and exploration.

Water safety education in Portsmouth, where water is part of daily life, is essential. Supports Labour’s commitment to the PE and sport premium (£320 million for 2025-26). Labour's Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill requires schools to deliver national curriculum including swimming and water safety. Facilities need to be accessible and affordable.

Raises concern about the case of Serren Bennett, an 18-year-old missing from Middlesbrough since June 8th. Urges authorities to work with Cleveland police to find her.

Welcomes the debate on water safety and highlights the issue of swimming skills gaps. Liberal Democrats advocate for mandatory swimming lessons in schools. Investment is needed in local swimming pools, like the new facility in Sheringham.

The hon. Member for North Norfolk praised the hard work that has gone into securing funding and expressed support for ending swimming pool closures through designating them as critical health infrastructure.

The hon. Member for Harborough praised the contributions from across the House on water safety issues and highlighted the previous Government's initiatives such as updating the national curriculum in 2013 to include swimming and water safety education.

Acknowledges the need for water safety education and supports existing initiatives like the PE and sport premium funding. She emphasises working closely with sector experts to provide high-quality resources for schools, including teacher training and online resources.

Requests reassurance on how water safety education will be enforced once the national curriculum is finalized. He highlights the importance of public information campaigns in educating young people about water safety, as exemplified by Evan Crisp's survival story due to an RNLI advert.

Commends contributions from Members across the House and emphasises the need for a cross-departmental approach to drowning prevention. He supports the expansion of water safety education beyond schools to adults and promotes the use of social media campaigns.

Indicated assent in support of the proposal for a Minister with responsibility for drowning prevention, highlighting the importance of a coordinated response across departments.

I thank the Backbench Business Committee, all those who have supported and spoken in the debate, my team who have made today happen, and the various organisations—I will not list them all—helping us to move the dial on this issue. Finally, and most importantly, I thank Ness, who has been an incredible inspiration for me in the debate; I hope she sees today that her work is of national significance.