Written question asked by Nick Hurd (Conservative) on Tuesday, 18 November 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 24 November 2008. It was answered by Paul Clark (Labour) on Monday, 24 November 2008 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Cycling England: Finance

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what payments Cycling England has (a) made in the last 12 months and (b) is contracted to make, to public affairs consultants; and for what purposes.

Answer: Blue Rubicon has been contracted through the Central Office of Information since 2005 to provide PR consultancy services to Cycling England. The agency delivers a programme of activity targeting consumers and engaging stakeholders with the aim to get more people cycling, more safely, more often.Expenditure for the period November 2007-November 2008 has been £969,759. Spend so far this financial year is £390,766. This includes costs for running a general press office; website development and maintenance; development and promotion of Bikeability (Cycling England’s flagship award scheme, teaching children to cycle safely and responsibly); event management; commissioning research into and promoting the benefits of cycling. The estimated spend for the rest of the current financial year is £341,996. The contract ends in March 2009 and is due to be retendered in January.

Secondary information