Labour investment in cycling and walking will be unprecedented, says Louise Haigh

Louise Haigh said it was an ‘anomaly’ that the National Cycle Network was run by a charity while the government runs roads and rail. Photograph: Department for Transport (DfT)

The Labour government will invest “unprecedented levels of funding” in cycling and walking as a critical part of plans to improve health and inequality, the new secretary for transport has said.

A national network of safe cycle routes could cut GP appointments “by hundreds of thousands, if not millions a year” by helping people incorporate more physical activity into their lives, according to Louise Haigh, who also sits on the government’s health mission delivery board.