Alun Michael visits Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire

Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael will visit a variety of rural projects in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire tomorrow and Wednesday.

Tomorrow Mr Michael will be joined by the heads of English Nature and the Yorkshire Dales National Park for a walk from Settle to Chapel-le-Dale across the summits of Ingleborough and Park Fell. Along the route the minister will visit the Ingleborough National Nature Reserve, the Limestone Country Project and EN's Rewilding Project.

Later MR Michael will travel to Warton, in Lancashire, to visit the Land at the Hyning, where funding from Defra's Countryside Stewardship Scheme has paid for a new persmissive bridleway through part of the Hyning Estate.

On Wednesday Mr Michael will visit Castleton Youth Hostel before walking from Castleton to Edale, where he will be shown round the access work at the youth hostel. He will then meet YHA officers at the YHA national office in Matlock. He will conclude his visit to Derbyshire with a meeting with the Peak District National Park Authority at its offices in Bakewell.

Alun Michael is available to talk to media colleagues throughout his visit. There will be photocalls at Horton-in-Ribblesdale station at 1000, at Colt Park Reserve at 1430 and at the Land at the Hyning at 1645 tomorrow and at YHA Edale at 1215 and YHA Matlock at 1445 on Wednesday.