§ Mr. MerchantTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in taking forward the commitment in the White Paper, "Rural England", to stimulate the more active participation of parish councils in footpath management and to develop, with the Countryside Commission, a pilot project to build on the experience of the parish paths partnership. [38817]
§ Mr. ClappisonThe aims of the local access initiative will be to maximise the role of local people in access management and maintenance, to integrate more fully the rights of way network with other access and recreational opportunities, and to provide opportunities for additional access, on a voluntary basis.
We also intend that the initiative will consider the relationship of local management to the accurate recording of rights of way and look at the scope for changes to the network. We intend to set up projects in four or five areas in England.
We have asked the Countryside Commission to manage the initiative. The commission will be seeking to set up schemes involving partnerships of local landowners, farmers, other local people and interested groups of individuals, on a parish basis. Participation in the initiative will be entirely voluntary and management of the scheme is expected to be through the local highway authority. We hope to announce the projects by the end of the year.