Robert Goodwill reappointed minister for cycling

Scarborough MP Robert Goodwill has been reappointed minister for cycling in the Conservative government formed in the wake of last week’s general election.

As parliamentary under secretary for state at the Department for Transport, he will also be responsible for aviation, HS2, road safety and walking.

Mr Goodwill, who himself rides a Brompton, will continue to report to transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin who retains the cabinet post he held prior to the election.

In their manifesto, the Conservatives said: "We want to double the number of journeys made by bicycle and will invest over £200m to make cycling safer so we reduce the number of cyclists and other road users killed or injured on our roads every year."

That spend is presumably over the five-year term of the new parliament, but is dwarfed by the £100 billion the party says it will spend on infrastructure over the same period.

That includes "the biggest investment in rail since Victorian times, and the most extensive improvements to our roads since the 1970s."

In the run-up to the general election, prime minister David Cameron said his party aimed to double the levels of cycling in England by 2025, and that it also wants to increase funding for cycling to £10 per person per year.

Both figures were originally announced by Mr Goodwill last October, and there is no set time frame to achieve that funding target, which Mr Cameron has warned will only be possible to achieve of the Conservatives are able to continue with implementing their economic plan.

When Mr Cameron confirmed those aspirations last month, British Cycling policy advisor Chris Boardman said that the current spending plan of £200 million “will only scratch the surface.”

He added: “It’s great to hear that the Conservative party wants to increase spending further to £10 per person per year.

“However, it’s clear that they see this as a long-term aim rather than something they will bring in now.

“With HS2 and other transport schemes set to cost many billions over the term of the next parliament, it’s hard to see why further money cannot be allocated to sustainable transport – especially given its ability to transform Britain’s health, improve air quality and reinvigorate our towns and cities.”