Question
The Tour de France starts in my constituency in July. Portobello high school’s Girls Gone Cycling project has already got over 70 girls on to bikes, and it is now being extended across Scotland. The grand départ trophy visited Portobello this month to mark the race’s first start in Scotland and to recognise the girls’ excellent work. What are the Government doing to capture that energy and inspire the next generation of cyclists? May I invite Ministers to Edinburgh in this Tour de France year to meet our impressive cyclists?
Answer
I agree with my hon. Friend that the Tour de France is an amazing opportunity to inspire more people to walk and cycle, and what a wonderful constituency for it to appear in. Active travel is a devolved matter, but officials from the Department for Transport and Transport Scotland meet regularly to discuss active travel, most recently in September. I pay tribute to the work of Portobello high sch ool. Cycling is a fantastic way to get around while cutting emissions and keeping fit. In England, we are investing £135 million in schemes such as Bikeability cycle training, with over half a million children receiving training each year. Alongside that, we are supporting the delivery of safer networks, enabling more children to walk, wheel and cycle to school. I will look into whether we can visit to enjoy some of the benefits of these schemes, along with my hon. Friend.20% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (55/100)
The reply answers the first part of the question directly, setting out concrete measures for young cyclists such as £135 million for Bikeability training and safer routes to school. It only partly answers the second part: the Minister says they will "look into whether we can visit" Edinburgh, which neither commits to a visit nor rules one out. Much of the rest of the reply covers devolution and official liaison, so the person who asked would likely need to follow up on whether a visit will happen.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the Government doing to inspire the next generation of cyclists? | Addressed | Direct | The reply names concrete measures for inspiring young cyclists: £135 million for Bikeability training, over half a million children trained each year, and safer networks enabling children to walk, wheel and cycle to school. The reply is scoped to England, but that reflects the devolved position rather than a different question. |
| Will Ministers accept the invitation to visit Edinburgh during the Tour de France year to meet local cyclists, including the Girls Gone Cycling participants at Portobello High School? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The only statement that bears on the ministerial visit is the non-committal "I will look into whether we can visit", which neither accepts nor declines the invitation. The devolution and official-liaison statements give context but do not answer whether Ministers will visit Edinburgh, and the tribute to Portobello High School does not address the visit. |