Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to reduce the levels of (a) nitrogen dioxide and (b) particulate matter in air.
Answered by Robbie Moore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The nitrogen dioxide (NO2) programme has allocated £883m to support local authorities to address NO2 exceedances. This funding has supported measures including vehicle upgrade and scrappage schemes, improved traffic management, and better cycling infrastructure.
New PM2.5 targets were recently set as part of the Environment Act. These targets focus on reducing PM2.5 where concentrations are highest as well as ensuring population exposure is reduced across the country. Meeting these targets will require action across a range of sectors and has included legislation to restrict the sale of wet wood, coal and high sulphur manufactured solid fuels for use in domestic premises. Since January 2022 all stoves placed on the market in the United Kingdom must be Ecodesign compliant. These requirements have been accompanied by an ongoing communication campaign aimed at raising awareness and educating people on the risks of burning solid fuels, encouraging those that need to burn to do so as cleanly and efficiently as possible.
Asked by: John Redwood (Conservative - Wokingham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department plans to provide to local authorities for active travel plans in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport is currently providing £70 million of dedicated funding to local authorities in 2023-24, for developing and delivering local infrastructure schemes and to boost capability and enable higher levels of walking and cycling. Funding for local authorities in 2024-25 is subject to final Departmental business planning decisions.
Asked by: Andrew Selous (Conservative - South West Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to support cycle businesses in England.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses that manufacture, retail and service cycles and e-cycles. This support takes many forms including unprecedented investment in safe cycling infrastructure which enables more people to cycle safely; and initiatives such as the Cycle to Work scheme which allows many people to access cycles more cheaply. These and other measures help increase the demand for new cycles and e-cycles, and for the servicing of existing cycles and e-cycles.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage more women to cycle.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Active Travel England (ATE) provides £2 million per year to the Big Bike Revival project, which focuses cycling activities on underrepresented groups, such as women. In 2022/23, 59% of participants in Big Bike Revival were female.
ATE also provides funding to local authorities to enable women and other underrepresented groups to increase levels of cycling through the Capability Fund. Design guidance for new infrastructure, such as that funded through the Active Travel Fund, requires that new schemes are accessible to all users, including women. Bids must demonstrate that the safety and confidence of women had been factored into the design of active travel schemes.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help support businesses that manufacture (a) cycle and (b) e-cycles.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to supporting UK businesses that manufacture, retail and service cycles and e-cycles. This support takes many forms including unprecedented investment in safe cycling infrastructure which enables more people to cycle safely; and initiatives such as the Cycle to Work scheme which allows many people to access cycles more cheaply. These and other measures help increase the demand for new cycles and e-cycles, and for the servicing of existing cycles and e-cycles.
Asked by: Keir Mather (Labour - Selby and Ainsty)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to encourage safer cycling at night-time in (a) Selby and Ainsty constituency, (b) rural communities and (c) nationally.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is investing over £3 billion in active travel over this Parliament, including high quality cycle infrastructure and cycle training opportunities. The safety of vulnerable road users is a priority for the Government, and the Department is determined to make the roads safer for everyone.
North Yorkshire has been allocated over £1.1 million capital funding through the Active Travel Fund over the last three years, and over £428,463 of revenue funding. This funding supports not only the provision of safe cycle infrastructure but also activities including cycle training.
The Highway Code sets out a number of requirements for cycling at night, including that cyclists must use lights, as well as providing advice on matters such as reflective clothing and accessories. Enforcement of these matters is the responsibility of the police.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to support young people purchase bicycles in Portsmouth South constituency.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Active Travel England is providing funding to local authorities through the Active Travel Capability Fund, which can be used for a range of initiatives to enable more people of all ages to walk, wheel and cycle, including access to cycles. Portsmouth City Council received £74,658 through this fund for 2022/23. Active Travel England also awarded Portsmouth City Council £653,580 of capital funding for the same period, which will be used to build, improve and maintain infrastructure to support walking, wheeling and cycling. The Government also supports affordable access to cycles through the Cycle to Work salary sacrifice scheme, which is also open to under 18-year-olds in employment (conditions apply).
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what work Sustrans has provided to his Department and its agencies in each of the last six years.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In each of the last six years, funding was provided to Sustrans as follows: £4.65m (2017/18), £26.2m (2018/19), £4.1m (2019/20), £19.4m (2020/21), and £49.5m (2021/22). No funding was provided in 2022/23.
In the last six years, Sustrans has managed four programmes of work for the Department for Transport and Active Travel England. £75m has been provided to upgrade the National Cycle Network. £9.8m has been provided under the Cycle Rail programme for cycle racks, cycle security measures and links to railway stations. £6.3m has been provided under the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Planning (LCWIP) programme to help local authorities to develop LCWIPs, including training and evidence collection. £13m has been provided for cycling and walking paths around the route of HS2.
Asked by: Theresa Villiers (Conservative - Chipping Barnet)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department has provided to Sustrans in each of the last six years.
Answered by Jesse Norman
In each of the last six years, funding was provided to Sustrans as follows: £4.65m (2017/18), £26.2m (2018/19), £4.1m (2019/20), £19.4m (2020/21), and £49.5m (2021/22). No funding was provided in 2022/23.
In the last six years, Sustrans has managed four programmes of work for the Department for Transport and Active Travel England. £75m has been provided to upgrade the National Cycle Network. £9.8m has been provided under the Cycle Rail programme for cycle racks, cycle security measures and links to railway stations. £6.3m has been provided under the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Planning (LCWIP) programme to help local authorities to develop LCWIPs, including training and evidence collection. £13m has been provided for cycling and walking paths around the route of HS2.
Asked by: Darren Henry (Conservative - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to announce further rounds of funding for mini-Holland schemes.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is investing at least £100m of capital funding in active travel infrastructure over the next two years, including for mini-Holland schemes.
Further funding to local authorities for active travel schemes in 2023/24 onwards will be announced later in the year.