Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he made of the potential merits of active travel for wheelchair users; and if his Department will provide funding to Active Travel England for initiatives to help improve the physical and mental health of wheelchair users.

The Department for Transport (DfT) leads in Government on active travel, working with and through Active Travel England. Active travel comprises walking, wheeling, and cycling. Increased physical activity, including through active travel, can have significant health benefits. DfT published its Inclusive Transport Strategy in 2020. This strategy will help ensure that disabled people are able to move around freely through the pedestrian environment and use it to access other modes of transport. If using a cycle, whether as a mobility aid or not, they will be able to use inclusive cycle infrastructure to support their journey. We have made no specific assessment of the potential merits of active travel for wheelchair users.