Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on funding more greenways to encourage a healthier lifestyle.

There have been recent discussions with Ministerial colleagues in the Department for Transport and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on increasing physical activity, including cycling and walking. Increasing the number of people cycling and walking has public health benefits as well as being good for the transport system as a whole, local economies and social inclusion. To this end, the Government is making significant investments through the cycling and walking investment strategy. The strategy acknowledges that there is good anecdotal evidence that people would be most encouraged to cycle by being able to ride completely away from motor traffic using routes such as greenways. We have also set an aim to double cycling activity, and increase the percentage of children aged five to 10 that usually walk to school to 55% by 2025.