HC Deb 01 February 1991 vol 184 cc697-8W
Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress towards implementing the 1,000-mile cycle lane network in London.

Mr. Chope

In 1990 the London planning advisory committee consulted all London highway authorities on the proposals for a 1,000-mile strategic cycle network. Replies are being co-ordinated by the London Cycling Forum. Results are expected later this year.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the availability of finance to local authorities for the provision of cycling facilities.

Mr. Chope

Transport supplementary grant (TSG) and credit approvals for local authority capital expenditure on highways are allocated in the light of information included in authorities' annual transport policies and programme (TPP) submissions.

The Department's circular inviting TPP submissions for 1991–92 said that expenditure on provision for cyclists will be considered for TSG where it is integral to a highway or traffic management scheme which meets the criteria for TSG accepted expenditure. Specific cycling schemes, in addition to those which form or are part of a local safety scheme, can also qualify for TSG support if they are intended to reduce accidents on roads of more than local importance. This can involve not only the construction of facilities on main roads (such as cycle lanes and cycle crossings) but also the development of cycle routes on minor roads which attract significant numbers of cyclists away from roads of more than local importance.

Most expenditure on cycling facilities is likely to take the form of "minor works" for which authorities are given a block allocation of accepted expenditure. Other expenditure on cycling, as on all other categories of expenditure, may be funded from within authorities, approved levels of borrowing, from capital receipts or from revenue.

There is no predetermined share of the total resources available reserved for cycling facilities, and it is for individual authorities to decide how much of their overall allocations to devote to them.