Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the ability to secure locally agreed access arrangements to facilitate greater public access to the countryside, before the introduction of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.

There has been no recent assessment of this nature, however access agreements were included as part of the Countryside and Rights of Way Bill research paper prior to the introduction of the Act. The full report can be viewed at: https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/RP00-31

Due to the length of time which has passed, many documents have been destroyed in line with standard retention periods and we have no information about other assessments prior to the introduction of the Act.