MP backs water safety lessons for school children

MP Monica Harding said her constituency alone had seen three drowning deaths in four years

Calls for water safety lessons to be "embedded" in schools have been backed in the House of Commons.

Surrey Liberal Democrat MP Monica Harding supported the move in a debate earlier this week when it was revealed 1,700 people had drowned in the UK since 2020.

Harding, who represents Esher and Walton, said her constituency had seen three such drowning deaths in the past four years.

"These are tragedies with unimaginable pain for the families and profound effects for schools, emergency services and the wider community," she said.

Harding said that a "river-based constituency" like hers owed it "to our residents, visitors and local businesses to prioritise water safety".

"The Thames threads through our towns, the River Mole runs through our parks and reservoirs sit at the heart of our communities, so addressing the root causes is so important," she added.

She said that those risks had only been heightened by the recent spell of hot weather.

"We must do more to ensure that water safety is embedded in our children's education, especially in areas such as mine which have rivers and open waters," Harding added.

Among other matters discussed were whether a new Water Safety Minister should be appointed and if better signage was required at outdoor swimming spots.

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