Oral Answers to Questions

Tracey Crouch Excerpts

Thursday 17th September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Maclean]

I am delighted to see the hon. Gentleman’s enthusiasm for the Government’s ambitions. As I set out, we will be investing £2 billion, which is the largest ever infrastructure investment. We have already delivered £250 million for emergency schemes, and we are helping people to fix their bike with £25 million-worth of vouchers.

[Tracey Crouch (Chatham and Aylesford) (Con)]

What support his Department is providing to local authorities to maintain and increase levels of cycling and walking.

[Jason McCartney (Colne Valley) (Con)]

What support his Department is providing to local authorities to maintain and increase levels of cycling and walking.

[Mr Speaker]

It is a pleasure to see Tracey asking this question. We miss you; we really do.

[Tracey Crouch [V]]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I miss you all too.

Thanks to the Government’s active travel grants, Medway Council has managed to upgrade many of its cycling and walking routes, which is superb news for those at the Chatham end of my constituency. However, at the other end, part of the Aylesford towpath collapsed into the River Medway earlier this year and is now closed to the 6,000-plus users per month. Despite Kent County Council’s incredible efforts to find funds to repair the towpath, it still faces a significant shortfall. Could the Minister offer any guidance towards emergency central Government funding pots that would enable the reopening of that incredibly popular path for cyclists and walkers?

[Chris Heaton-Harris]

First, may I echo your words, Mr Speaker, and say how good it is to see my hon. Friend? She is one of the few MPs I follow on Instagram, from which I know what a keen cyclist she is—and, indeed, what she looks like in Lycra.

The Government allocated the first tranche of active travel funds to councils earlier in the summer; a bigger second tranche will follow shortly. I am quite sure that my hon. Friend will be able to persuade her county council to make the appropriate investment in Aylesford towpath, and I would be very happy to work with her to try to help that happen.