Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 6 November 2025.
Andrew Rosindell
Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs)
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken to work with local authorities to improve the safety of footpaths.
Mary Creagh
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Local highway authorities are responsible for the management and maintenance of public rights of way (and ensuring they are free from obstructions).
They are required to keep a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) to plan improvements to the rights of way network in their area for all users. These are available on the authority’s website. This must include an assessment of the local rights of way including the condition of the network.
Local authorities are best placed to understand local priorities and allocate funding for rights of way activities accordingly.
Yes3 people think so
No2 people think not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
