What is the reason for your decision to cut cycle training budgets provided from Transport for London (TfL) part-way through this financial year, rather than increasing cycle training investment to support more people to cycle? Will you also consider giving the instructors employed through the remaining TfL schemes an overdue pay rise?

Transport for London (TfL) and I are grateful for cycle instructors' dedication and hard work, especially during the pandemic. I understand your concerns and we are working hard to secure a long-term funding agreement for London.

TfL allocated £4m for cycle training in its original full budget for 21/22. This was approved by the TfL Board in March 2021, however, was dependent on the Government providing £2.7bn of funding support.

TfL only got £1.8bn of confirmed Government funding which included £100m for active travel. Given this significant shortfall in funding TfL had to prepare a Revised Budget in July 2021. As part of the Revised Budget, cycle training was still allocated £2.55m, which is the highest TfL budget for cycle training for several years. In previous years, cycle training budgets were also topped up by boroughs from their local Implementation Plan (LIP) budgets and small underspends from other borough budgets. In 2019/20 TfL allocated £2m to cycle training, and this was topped up by £4.2m from the boroughs LIP allocations and other borough budgets. Unfortunately, boroughs have not been unable to fund cycle training from their LIP allocations since the way we fund boroughs has had to change.

TfL recognises the importance of cycle training, so as part of that Revised Budget it called on Government to provide an additional £50m of funding for active travel (including LIPs) and confirm this well ahead of December so TfL and the Boroughs could prepare to deliver this funding effectively. The Government have not yet responded to this request.

Boroughs hold the contracts for the delivery of cycle training, so the amount that it paid to cycle instructors is a matter for them to discuss directly with their cycle training providers.