asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the current status of the Paths of Discovery Scheme; and whether this scheme is going to be closed; and [HL3357]

What has been the cost to date of the Paths of Discovery Scheme introduced by the Countryside Agency. [HL3358]

The Discovering Lost Ways project was set up to carry out research of historic documents to look for rights of way not recorded on the definitive map. This should enable those with good evidence to be formally registered before the cut-off date of 2026. Work on the demonstration phase of the Discovering Lost Ways project is progressing, with research in Cheshire nearing completion and work in Shropshire well advanced.

Based on the results of this early work, Natural England will be working with others to fundamentally review the approach and identify the most cost-effective approach to getting valuable routes on the ground. The cost to date for this project's activity is approximately £2.7million.