To ask the Minister of Education what actions his Department is taking to encourage primary school children to walk and cycle to school as they begin the autumn term.

My Department actively engages with other departments and stakeholders in order to promote sustainable, healthy and active travel choices among school children.

Officials from my Department participate in the Active School Travel Programme which is led by the Department for Infrastructure and includes representatives from the Department of Health and Sustrans. The work of this group is to continually seek ways to encourage Active Travel to and from school by walking and cycling in a safe and appropriate manner.

A further new Walking and Cycling Advisory Group has recently been established, again led by DfI. I am pleased to advise that my Curriculum Team will be represented on this group to determine how the issues of walking and cycling can be incorporated into the school curriculum.

Finally, I welcome the report published on the Young Persons’ Behaviour and Attitudes Survey 2019, which found that approximately three quarters of pupils do not travel to and from school by car, but use other modes such as walking, cycling and public transport.