The Government will not make wearing cycle helmets compulsory, transport minister Jesse Norman, who is MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, has confirmed.

Fellow Conservative MP Mark Pritchard, who represents for The Wrekin in Shropshire and who grew up in Herefordshire, asked in a written parliamentary question if the transport secretary “will hold discussions with road safety and cycle representative groups on making it a legal requirement for cyclists to wear helmets on public roads”.

Mr Norman, who was appointed to the role of transport minister for decarbonisation and technology under Rishi Sunak’s new Government in October, replied that the Department for Transport “considered this matter at length in a comprehensive cycling and walking safety review in 2018 and held discussions with a wide range of stakeholders as part of that”.

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Any benefit from making cyclists wear helmets is “likely to be outweighed by the fact that this would put some people off cycling, thereby reducing the wider health and environmental benefits”, he said.

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“The department recommends that cyclists should wear helmets, as set out in The Highway Code, but has no intention to make this a legal requirement.”

Mr Norman has been approached for his views on plans to make Hereford more cycle-friendly.

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