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Women’s Safety: Walking, Wheeling, Cycling and Running
27 January 2026
Lead MP
Jess Asato
Lowestoft
Lab
Responding Minister
Lilian Greenwood
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Word Count: 13845
Other Contributors: 20
At a Glance
Jess Asato raised concerns about women’s safety: walking, wheeling, cycling and running in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The Government should improve space design, provide better police training, and challenge societal attitudes towards harassment. The strategy must include outdoor harassment in frontline officer training and ensure women feel supported when reporting abuse.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Violence against women and girls occurs in various aspects of life including during commuting or exercising. Women experience unwanted attention ranging from sarcastic clapping to being physically assaulted while running, which impacts their daily decisions and freedom. Research shows that 82% of the women surveyed had safety concerns while running, with only 5% reporting incidents to the police.
Alice Macdonald
Lab/Co-op
Norwich North
Welcomed Norwich Cycling Campaign's women’s safety audit and encouraged constituents to take part in the initiative. Emphasised gathering intel from women about where they do not feel safe.
Amanda Hack
Lab
North West Leicestershire
Walking, wheeling, cycling and running are sold as accessible sports but many women avoid these activities due to safety concerns. The hon. Member highlights the need for better infrastructure, lighting and policing.
Amanda Martin
Lab
Portsmouth North
Stated that women and girls should feel safe when exercising in public, but many do not due to harassment. She cited a survey where 70% of women have experienced intimidating incidents while running.
Anna Dixon
Lab
Shipley
The hon. Member highlighted a national survey which found 20% of women would never go walking at night, while local research in Bingley showed that 48% of respondents would not feel safe at night.
Anna Sabine
LD
Frome and East Somerset
Discusses women’s safety concerns in semi-rural areas, highlighting the impact of dark nights on freedom of movement. Mentions repeated incidents of flashing when walking and lack of street lighting on country lanes. Asks if the national planning policy framework pays regard to women’s safety as it is harder to enact active travel subsets without such consideration.
Anneliese Dodds
Lab/Co-op
Oxford East
Raises concerns about reporting mechanisms for women cyclists who have been harassed or intimidated, urging the Government to improve these processes as part of the VAWG strategy.
Gordon McKee
Lab
Glasgow South
Pays tribute to the Light the Way campaign led by Radio Clyde for better lighting in parks and encourages councils to make park lighting a priority.
Greg Smith
Con
Mid Buckinghamshire
Women’s safety during active travel is a serious issue. According to Cycling UK, 23% of women cite harassment or intimidation as a reason not to cycle and almost three quarters change outdoor activity routines due to feeling unsafe.
Gregory Campbell
DUP
East Londonderry
Acknowledges the debate's timeliness, suggesting that unhealthy lifestyles online contribute to the problem of harassment. Highlights the need for young men to understand and appreciate proper relationships between males and females.
Epsom and Ewell
The hon. Lady agrees with the need for better infrastructure and highlights that poorly lit paths limit where women feel safe to go out for a run.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Discussed the worrying situation for women’s safety in Northern Ireland, citing statistics that show significantly more men than women feel safe in public places. He mentioned an increase in sexual offences and highlighted the importance of services like Strut Safe.
John Slinger
Lab
Rugby
Men's attitudes and behaviour towards women need adapting; Warwickshire police are implementing initiatives like VAWG walks, Ask for Angela, and Project Vigilant to tackle misogynistic behaviour.
Calder Valley
Two out of three women face harassment while running, forcing them to adapt their behaviour. The issue needs better reporting and stronger enforcement with institutional recognition from police.
Kevin Bonavia
Lab
Stevenage
The hon. Member points out that some cycling networks in the UK have poor lighting issues and suggests a whole-Government approach to improve this situation at all levels.
Kirith Entwistle
Lab
Bolton North East
Stresses that women are not safe running, walking, or cycling; shares personal experiences of harassment and intimidation. Highlights the safety gap in transport patterns with less than a third of all cycling trips made by women in Greater Manchester. Emphasises grassroots initiatives addressing these issues.
Maya Ellis
Lab
Ribble Valley
Supports a social media ban for under-16s due to its impact on girls' body image, which affects their engagement in sporting activities. Emphasises the need to ensure girls feel safe and supported in outdoor activities.
Lee Dillon
LD
Newbury
Congratulated the hon. Member for securing this debate and highlighted local initiatives such as a glow ride organised by Newbury Road Club in support of Cycling UK’s “My ride. Our right” campaign.
Paul Waugh
Lab/Co-op
Rochdale
Refers to the research by University of Manchester highlighting that 19% of women runners had been followed, 7% flashed at. Emphasises need for visible policing and better lighting.
Sarah Olney
LD
Richmond Park
The Royal Parks constabulary has been scrapped, leaving Richmond Park unpatrolled and less safe. This leads women to avoid running in the park during dark winter months.
St Ives
Described her personal experience being harassed while cycling and highlighted that only one in four cycling trips are made by women due to safety concerns, calling for well-lit, segregated routes to improve female cyclists' safety. The hon. Member pointed out that women often face harassment on walking and cycling routes, and asked if it is not time to stop normalising such behaviour.
Government Response
Lilian Greenwood
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport
Government Response
Commits to allocating £626 million over four years for walking, wheeling, and cycling schemes. Announces £2.5 million provided to Cycling UK for the Big Bike Revival programme which has reached more than half a million people since its inception in 2015.
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Assessment & feedback
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.