As many of you may know, in 2017 I helped to establish the first All-Party Parliamentary Group on Swimming and I am very proud to continue as its Chair. 12 years of Tory austerity and the cost-of-living crisis has meant that more and more of our local pools are closing down and access to life-saving swimming classes are harder to find than ever.

Over the weekend, more than 250 public swimming pools announced that they are to reduce their opening hours until Easter because they cannot afford to heat the water. This is another blow to children and families who need affordable and flexible access to swimming pools.

As well as being a vital life skill, the health and well-being benefits of swimming – and all aquatic activities – are huge and at present under-utilised. The water is an ideal environment for people to be active, particularly for those with a range of health conditions that can make it harder to be active on land.

For many people, they will either have to find a new pool facility, adjust to reduced opening hours and swim in colder pools. Mark Sesnan, chief executive of the social enterprise Greenwich Leisure, which runs 258 Better gyms and pools on behalf of councils, has said the cost of heating pools had increased to 25 per cent of the total running costs of leisure centres, with each pool costing more than £300,000 to heat, up from less than £100,000. Understandably, these costs are just too much for local pools and could force some to close permanently.

I am passionate about swimming and I want to make sure that every child has the opportunity to learn how to swim and be safe in and around the water. However at the moment, there are so many people that are missing out on life-saving swimming classes. This is devastating and I will continue to call for urgent Government action. I have now submitted several Written Parliamentary Questions:

• To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of public swimming pools on the impact of the cost of living crisis and the cost of running swimming pools
• To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of public swimming pools on the impact of the cost of living crisis and the cost of running swimming pools