Hugh steps up pressure for right to swim

Hugh Robertson, the Shadow Minister for Sport and MP for Faversham and Mid Kent,

Julie Kirkbride, the former Shadow Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport and MP for Bromsgrove, Carolyn Warner, Chair of the Right to Swim Campaign and Margaret Creear, Director of Gingerbread will be at Dragon’s Health Club and Swimming Pool in Maidstone on Thursday 28 October at 10.30.

They will be there to highlight the campaign organised by Right to Swim against the government’s new rules on supervision of children in swimming pools.

The campaign comes as a result of the government’s decision to back recommendations from the Health and Safety Executive and the Institute of Sport and Recreation Management. These restrict the number of children an adult can take into a swimming pool to one under the age of four and two under the age of eight. This prevents children taking exercise and discriminates against larger families and lone parents.

Hugh said: “This is a perfect example of the damage done by compensation culture. Swimming pools have no option but to comply with these guidelines or risk being sued. We should be encouraging children to go swimming rather than placing artificial obstacles in their way. The government should force the HSE and the ISRM to change these unnecessary and draconian rules.”

Julie Kirkbride said: "As usual, the government is all talk and no action. If they want young children to be physically active - as they say - then they must take action and give parents the right to be responsible for their child's safety in a public swimming pool."

Carolyn Warner said: “We are a national campaign group with over 10,000 members across the UK. Our campaign aims are to increase awareness of the plight of thousands of children across the United Kingdom, to guard against social exclusion from sport and to advocate safe swimming for everyone. If this guideline is supported by the government then it is their legacy that will ensure that we are a national of non swimmers. We would like to encourage people to visit our website at www.righttoswim.co.uk and sign our online petition which will be taken to the Prime Minister.

Margaret Creear said: “Approximately half of lone parents have more than one child. They are often isolated from their extended family and lack support. These guidelines serve only to increase that isolation and we urge the government to find other ways to ensure the safety of children in swimming pools.”