Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential health benefits of improving access to cycles for people on low incomes.

We know that reducing physical inactivity is beneficial for everyone and evidence suggests that cycling has positive physical and mental health benefits. Public Health England’s cycling and walking evidence review, published in 2018, found mixed evidence for whether increasing cycling in deprived socioeconomic status groups is more beneficial than in the general population. This review is available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5bf41840e5274a2af47c464e/Cycling_and_walking_for_individual_and_population_health_benefits.pdf

The Department of Health and Social Care is currently working with the Department for Transport, and Active Travel England, on an updated evidence review, which will further examine active travel’s impact on mental health, physical health, and health inequalities. Findings are expected by mid-2025.