Oral QuestionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.

Tabled: 12 March 2026Answered: 19 March 2026

Asked by

Munira Wilson

Liberal DemocratTwickenham

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Answer from Hansard

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Emma Hardy)

It is incredibly distressing to hear of people falling ill when using our bathing waters. One reform that we are looking at—being led by Chris Whitty—is about public health and water. We want to ensure that when we are making reforms to the water industry, we do so through the lens of thinking about it as a public health issue as well as a pollution issue. We must take action so that we do not continue to see people falling ill after using our beautiful bathing waters.