Freddie van Mierlo

Freddie van Mierlo

Liberal Democrat — Henley and Thame

Speaking in the House of Commons on 9 September 2025

Debate

National Trails

Contribution

The hon. Member is right to point out concerns about the upkeep of the Ulster Way. I thank him for bringing that route to our attention; I look forward to perhaps walking it myself one day. National trails tend to be far more accessible for people with disabilities due to additional work that takes place to replace stiles with gates and improve the standards of paths for wheelchairs users. For these reasons and more, the great British public appreciate the trails, and so does our economy. The combined economic impact of national trails totals £1.8 billion, and the contribution to health every year is £300 million through savings to the NHS. In my constituency of Henley and Thame, we are lucky to have two national trails—the Thames Path and the Ridgeway.

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