Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve cycling connectivity between rural towns and villages.

The Spending Review in June 2025 allocated £616 million for Active Travel England to support local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure from over the years 2026/27 to 2029/30. This comes on top of £222.5 million announced in February 2025 for local authorities over 2024/25-25/26, which can be used by authorities to improve cycling connectivity between rural towns and villages.

Active Travel England’s Rural Design Guidance (RDG) is currently in its final development stages and is expected to be published by the end of the year. The RDG will support authorities in delivering active travel routes both within rural settlements and between them by providing tailored guidance and support. Active Travel England currently works with local authorities during the design stage of active travel projects to increase design standards and embed guidance.