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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish detailed allocations for public access funding for 2025–26 and subsequent financial years; and how these will support delivery of commitments to expand public enjoyment of the natural environment.

The Government recognises the importance of providing access to the outdoors for people’s health and wellbeing and is working to ensure that this access is safe and appropriate. We are committed to increasing access to nature and have already set out several ambitious manifesto commitments to expand opportunities for the public to enjoy the outdoors, including the creation of nine new national river walks and three new national forests in England.

While we are unable to publish funding allocations for future years, we continue to invest significantly in improving access to nature across the country. For example, our four-year £33 million Access for All programme has supported a targeted package of measures across our Protected Landscapes, National Trails, Forestry England sites and the wider countryside to make access to green and blue spaces more inclusive. In 2025–26, £17.06 million was allocated to this programme. This funding has supported practical improvements such as resurfaced paths, replacing stiles with accessible gates, and installing changing places and toilets, enabling more people of all abilities to enjoy the outdoors.

Additionally, we continue to invest in completing the King Charles III England Coast Path, which at around 2,700 miles will be the longest waymarked and maintained coastal walking route in the world. Over 2,500 miles have now been approved, and more than 1,800 miles are already open. The route will also create around 250,000 hectares of new open access land within the coastal margin. We are also investing in improvements to Wainwright’s Coast to Coast route so that it can be designated as a National Trail.