The Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) 7b in cross compliance sets out rules to keep public rights of way accessible and open. These rules must be met by all recipients of former Common Agriculture Policy schemes (Basic Payment Scheme, Countryside Stewardship, Environmental Stewardship and Woodland Schemes). The rules within this GAEC are also in the Highways Act 1980 and therefore apply to all farmers and land managers. The Highways Act 1980 legislation will continue following the end of cross compliance and will be enforced by local highway authorities as it is currently. This means that the rules that protect public rights of way will remain in place after the end of cross compliance and all farmers and land managers will need to continue to adhere to them. The loss of GAEC 7b does not change the role or remit of local highway authority teams.

I have made enquiries with the Health and Safety Executive, who have confirmed that the investigation into the death of Mr Moir is ongoing. I was informed that a detailed and thorough investigation is being carried out and it is anticipated the remaining lines of enquiry will continue into 2022.

The second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2), which we expect to publish shortly, will specify the objectives to be achieved by Highways England in the second road period 2 (2020-21 to 2024-25). It will have legal force under the Infrastructure Act 2015 Chapter 7, Part 1 Section 3. Compliance with the performance specification, including the meeting of Key Performance Indicator targets and the reporting of wider performance measures, is overseen by the Department as client, and monitored and where necessary enforced by the Office of Rail and Road as Highways Monitor.

The development of the Performance Specification for RIS2 entailed comprehensive, structured engagement with external stakeholders including representatives from cycling, walking and equestrian groups, and the performance measures reflect this input. These groups will continue to be involved once RIS2 is in place through the work of Transport Focus as watchdog and Highways England stakeholder activities.

The documents newly published by Highways England contained only editorial changes rather than technical changes, to align with the new format and structure of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. As the content had not changed, no consultation with groups representing (a) walking, (b) cycling and (c) horse-riding interests was undertaken by Highways England.

Highways England has a £675 million designated fund budget covering the period April 2015 to March 2020. The remaining £225m of the £900m commitment is for 2020/21 and will be superseded by the first year of the second Road Investment Strategy. As of the end of September 2019, half the way through the 2019/20 financial year, Highways England had invested £460.2 million of these funds.

This investment has been delivered across the five designated funds as follows:

Spend has increased year on year as Highways England has developed the maturity of the programme through Road Period 1. Highways England is focussed on delivering the remaining £214.8 million spend on interventions that deliver the greatest benefits to our road users and local communities and it has developed an in-year programme capable of delivering the remaining budgets across the Environment, CSI, Innovation and Growth & Housing fund.

Highways England is already starting to see the positive impact of the Designated Funds programme and its spend to date has contributed to the following successes:

• Facilitating safe movement for cyclists, walkers and other vulnerable road users through delivering 102 cycling schemes, and supporting construction of 114 new and 220 upgraded crossings.

• Completion of over 90 safety schemes to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on the network.

• 665 Noise Important Areas mitigated to reduce the impact of noise on residents living locally to its roads.

• Growth and Housing projects expect to provide up to 45,000 homes and 44,000 jobs.

The draft Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2) published in October 2018 sets out Government’s objectives for the second Road Period from 2020-21 to 2024-25. These build on the progress made in the first Road Investment Strategy (RIS1).

The RIS2 performance specification is expected to be split into six outcome areas. Under each of these outcome areas we will require Highways England to report on a range of performance indicators and activities to support the delivery of each outcome. The outcome areas of most relevance to cyclists will be improving safety for all, and meeting the needs of all road users.

The metrics and associated targets for each outcome area will be confirmed shortly in the final RIS2 document.

The Department for Transport and Highways England have undertaken an extensive engagement exercise with external stakeholders in developing the performance specification for the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2). This has included walking, cycling and horse riding groups, as well as organisations representing the safety interests of all road users. In addition, Transport Focus has formed part of the formal governance of RIS2 in its role as the watchdog representing user interests on the Strategic Road Network.

The performance specification will be confirmed shortly in the final RIS2 document.

Through the Road Investment Strategy (RIS), Highways England is investing £675 million to improve the environmental, social and economic impacts of the Strategic Road Network, with designated funds across five areas: environmental; cycling, safety and integration; air quality; growth and housing; and innovation.

In April 2017 Highways England published its Sustainable Development and Environment Strategies, setting out its vision for ensuring its work supports society and the wider national interest, as well as both minimising environmental impact, and improving it where possible.

Some examples of activity in 2018-19 include the delivery of 300 noise mitigation measures towards its 5-year target of 1150, 59 more electric vehicle charge points to meet its commitment of 95% coverage by the end of 2019-20, and a contribution to Leeds City Council’s scheme to implement an electric van centre of excellence.

Over the course of the RIS, Highways England is also supporting 28 schemes as part of its Growth and Housing Fund to unlock the development of housing and employment sites across the country. Highways England expect over 45,000 homes and 44,000 jobs to be developed over the lifetime of these developments.

Highways England continues to work closely with the Department for Transport, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and the Joint Air Quality Unit to support the delivery of the National Air Quality Plan, including work to meet limits on nitrogen dioxide in the shortest timescale possible.

As a statutory planning consultee, Highways England responds to local authority plans and planning applications in a way that seeks to promote sustainable transport outcomes and avoid unnecessary works to the SRN. Highways England’s Planning Guide, published earlier in the RIS, sets out how it does this, alongside its requirement to ensure that any new development can safely be accommodated around its network. Highways England regularly engages with those in the development industry to ensure its responses and approach to planning are in line with its expectations as well as those of its customers, including how it enables development through delivery of sustainable transport outcomes.