Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help provide safe cycling infrastructure for residents of rural areas.

The Department for Transport has established Active Travel England (ATE) as an executive agency to provide dedicated funding and support for all authorities in England outside London, including in rural areas. ATE’s support includes training for local authority staff on to enable delivery of high-quality walking and cycling schemes, as well as design workshops and design assurance reviews of schemes under development.

Dedicated funding is provided to urban and rural areas of England using a formula based on population and capability level, with revenue funding to boost capability. Additionally, the Department provides funding for highways maintenance, which also includes maintenance of cycleways and footways, and is based on length of highways in constituent authorities.

In 2024, ATE also provided £1 million to the ten National Parks in England to help them develop better links to rural towns and villages. ATE is developing specific guidance for good practice application in rural areas and expects to publish this shortly.