§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many officials of the Department of Transport are employed in the planning of the development of cycling as a means of transport and how many are employed in the planning of the building of roads.
The Minister of State, Department of Transport (The Earl of Caithness)The Department of Transport is directly responsible for the trunk road programme, and as part of that provides facilities for cyclists where appropriate. Its role towards cycling on local roads is to encourage local authorities to make suitable provision for cycling, including through the new package approach. We support this role through experimental studies into ways of making cycling safer and more convenient, and general guidance and technical advice to local authorities.
§ Lord Marlesfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect to be able to announce their new package of measures for the encouragement of the greater and safer use of cycles in towns.
The Earl of CaithnessResponsibility for taking measures to make cycling safer and more attractive on roads in towns rests primarily with local highway authorities. The new package approach the Department of Transport is introducing will provide a new stimulus to local authority initiatives on cycling. We will continue to promote the safety of cycling as part of its wider safety objectives, as illustrated by its campaign this year to encourage the wearing of cycle safety helmets. We will also continue to conduct experimental studies into measures to make cycling safer and more convenient and to provide guidance and technical advice to local authorities.