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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Preparation works to develop a sustainable funding model for National Trails Grant.

The grant helped establish National Trails UK, a registered charity, whose purpose is to promote and protect our inspirational network of national trails that connects people, landscapes and nature. Defra provides additional funding to help National Trails UK champion our national trails and improve their long-term management and sustainability which will have benefits for people’s health and wellbeing and local economies.

Natural England is working with National Trails to investigate sustainable funding opportunities.