Debate contribution: Active Travel Spend
Debate contribution by Ms Liz Kimmins on .
- MLA
- Ms Liz Kimmins
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 15 September 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Active Travel Spend
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5099482
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Section 22 of the Climate Change Act 2022 states that my Department:
"must develop sectoral plans for transport which set a minimum spend on active travel from the overall transport budgets of 10%."
My Department has not changed what it considers to be active travel, which is travelling by physically active means, such as walking, wheeling or cycling. What has changed is that, for the first time, there is a need to capture and report the overall spend on active travel funded from overall transport budgets across my Department in line with section 22 of the Act, rather than just reporting the new active travel projects being delivered and the spend on those fantastic projects, such as the cycling proficiency scheme and the Active School Travel programme. As, I am sure, Members will agree, active travel is not single, discrete activity in my Department. Many different sections routinely carry out work that greatly benefits pedestrians and cyclists. For example, the provisional out-turn for 2024-25 shows that almost £12 million has been spent on maintaining existing assets, whether that is fixing trip hazards, cutting back vegetation or resurfacing old, uneven footways, all of which play a part in ensuring that we have accessible and usable active travel routes. Similarly, while I recognise the role that street lighting plays in road safety for motorists, its primary purpose is as a safety amenity for pedestrians. The majority of street lights are in built-up areas, and they clearly play a significant role in making people feel more comfortable and secure if they are walking or cycling at night. That being the case, we have attributed 50% of the overall cost of street lighting towards our calculation of active travel spend. Let us not forget, however, about investment in new infrastructure for active travel. I want more people to feel comfortable and safe when walking, wheeling or cycling, and that is why I am increasing capital investment to develop our active travel networks. I want to emphasise that active travel is not as straightforward as building a new footpath or cycle lane. We have to ensure that they are safe and accessible for everyone, and that forms part of that overall spend.
367 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.90).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.90 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.81 |
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.19 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:07 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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