Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will provide a new funding stream to encourage cycling in small towns and rural areas.

The Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (published April 2017) includes funding of £1.2 billion from 2016-21 to support our ambition to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys in every urban and rural community in England.

In addition to the £1.2 billion highlighted in the Strategy, funding is also available to small towns and rural areas from local authority programmes, some other government programmes such as Sport England and Public Health England, and the most recent allocations from the Local Growth Fund.