Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps the Government has taken to increase the level of active travel in the UK.

In July 2022, the Government published the second statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS2), reaffirming its commitment to active travel and setting out the objectives and the financial resources in place to achieve these for the period 2021 to 2025.

In August 2022, the Department formally established Active Travel England as an Executive Agency. Active Travel England is already overseeing the delivery of £200 million of active travel schemes this financial year, and is due shortly to make an announcement on future active travel funding for local authorities. It is rapidly recruiting its core staff, as well as putting in place its formal governance structures.

Other recent steps include the announcement in August 2022 of a number of social prescribing pilot schemes in eleven local authority areas. These will help join up the active travel and health agendas.