Cyclists: Safety

Baroness Pidgeon Excerpts

Wednesday 25th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)]

The noble Viscount is certainly right that the segregation of cyclists, where it can occur, is a good thing. The Government recommend the use of helmets and high-visibility clothing. He is absolutely right to emphasise those things, but I think the noble Lord, Lord Krebs, was asking particularly about road surfacing, which is important. The Government take it as important to improve the surfaces of roads for both cycling and driving.

[Baroness Pidgeon (LD)]

My Lords, countries such as the Netherlands continue to lead the way in quality transport infrastructure. Around 72% of secondary school children walk or cycle to school there, whereas in the UK that figure is only 38%. What will the Government do to make it easier and safer for children to walk and cycle to school?

[Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)]

The £626 million investment over four years in active travel infrastructure is designed to do precisely that. The noble Baroness is completely right; we want people to walk and cycle, and we want kids to do that as a matter of habit. That is why the Government are investing so much money. Before Christmas, we consulted on the third cycling and walking strategy. I anticipate that that too will have something to say in the direction that she wants us to go in.