To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Local Government Association on encouraging councils to use City Region Deals to increase access to cycling and walking routes.

The Department made clear, in its 2018 response to the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy Safety Review, that local councils should invest around 15 per cent of their local transport infrastructure funding on safe and efficient cycling and walking infrastructure. The Department continues to encourage local authorities to make use of the Transforming Cities Fund and other relevant national funding streams to support cycling and walking schemes and engages regularly with them in the development of their LCWIPs (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans). Departmental officials have had discussions from time to time with representatives from the Local Government Association to discuss local authorities’ support for cycling and walking.