The ‘Better Connected’ strategy sets out this government’s long-term vision for making transport work well for more people across England, recognising that passengers want simple, reliable and joined-up journeys and recognising the role of local leaders in delivering transport networks that meet the neds of their communities.

The department is also giving greater flexibility to local areas by providing £21bn of consolidated local transport funding over the spending review period to all local transport authorities, so they can make the strategic decisions that best impact their local areas. Government continues to provide significant investment for major transport projects to improve regional connectivity, including £11bn to upgrade the route between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York, laying the foundations for Northern Powerhouse Rail.

We are improving public transport connectivity by implementing the Bus Services Act 2025 which gives local leaders greater powers to determine how bus services are planned and delivered in their areas, alongside funding to support them and bus operators to improve bus services, helping local areas deliver more frequent, reliable and better integrated public transport networks.

On rail, the Railways Bill underpins the move towards a more locally focused railway, creating the statutory basis for structured partnerships with mayors to enable collaboration on local rail and wider transport priorities. This will mean that mayors are able to clearly outline the passenger service needs for their area and improve integration with other modes.

We have also published new Local Transport Plan guidance which requires local transport authorities to consider integrated ticketing and wider network connectivity when planning local services.

The government is committed to ensuring young people have clear, high-quality alternatives to traditional university routes. Our skills strategy is focused on giving learners routes into skilled employment and higher-level study while meeting employer and economic need.

New technical pathways from age 14 will put technical and academic education on an equal footing, widening choices for young people and supporting progression into post-16 technical education, apprenticeships, further study and skilled careers.

Reformed post-16 technical and vocational qualifications will give young people clearer choices, supporting them to succeed in work and life. At level 3, T Levels prepare students for employment, higher apprenticeships or further technical study, and V levels support progression to further study or work-based training, including apprenticeships. At level 2, Foundation Certificates support progression to level 3 and Occupational Certificates lead to skilled employment.

Apprenticeships remain central to our skills strategy as paid jobs with structured training, enabling people to earn while they learn and progress into skilled careers across the country.

This Government is fully committed to ensuring that veterans have access to the support they need for their health, including specifically support for mental health.

NHS England delivers Op COURAGE, a fully integrated, specialist mental health service for veterans, which has received over 35,000 referrals. The Government has also launched a new programme to deliver dedicated training for NHS staff to help them identify and support patients with a military background, to ensure that the support offered is comprehensive, appropriate and meets the particular needs of veterans.

We also launched VALOUR, a new system to give veterans across the UK easier access to the essential care and support available to them. VALOUR Recognised Centres will facilitate access to multiple services for veterans, and will connect local, regional, and national services. A network of VALOUR Field Officers will bring together charities, service providers, and local government to improve collaboration and coordination, enabling data-driven policy and service development. Finally, a VALOUR HQ, within the MOD, will gather data and insight, working with policy and research teams to ensure services are designed to meet local needs.

The Army’s current fitness requirements remain appropriate and are kept under regular review to ensure they continue to align with operational requirements. Data is collected across Army fitness events and reviewed by military staff, scientists and independent experts to inform policy and ensure standards remain evidence-based.

Since 2025, the Army has introduced two new measures to strengthen physical readiness. The Soldier Conditioning Assessment (SCA), introduced in April 2026, identifies areas for improvement for individual soldiers and informs tailored training programmes. The Collective Physical Readiness Evaluation (CPRE) enables Commanders to focus physical training on improving collective readiness against mission requirements.

The Army is also formally reviewing its Role Fitness Tests (Soldier), which assess whether soldiers meet the physical capability requirements for their specific occupation, to ensure they remain fit for purpose.

Water companies set out how they will meet their water supply duties in their Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). The plans show how they will secure water supplies in the long-term. Companies prepare revised WRMPs every five years and must take account of various factors such as population changes.

Water companies set out how they will meet their water supply duties in their Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). The plans show how they will secure water supplies in the long-term. Companies prepare revised WRMPs every five years and must take account of various factors such as population changes.

The government is fully committed to renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve and who have served, to ensure veterans and their families get access to the housing and other support they need.

To help veterans secure accommodation, the Government has removed local connection requirements for regular Armed Forces veterans applying for social housing in England and funding the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme to provide wraparound support across the UK. Veterans who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, can also access dedicated assistance through Op FORTITUDE.

The Government works closely with delivery partners to ensure veterans can access appropriate housing and wider support services. Veterans can also access specialist mental and physical healthcare through Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE, employment and career support through Op ASCEND and the Career Transition Partnership, and assistance for those in contact with, or at risk of contact with, the criminal justice system through Op NOVA.

The Ministry of Defence also provides tailored information, guidance and welfare support through Veterans Services and its network of case managers across the UK, helping veterans and their families navigate and access services, including support with housing.

Although Higher Education (HE) providers are autonomous of government, the department recognises that student choice requires access to high-quality and graduate outcome information. The department continues to work with the Office for Students (OfS), UCAS and sector partners to improve the quality, accessibility and visibility of graduate outcome information, as set out in the Post-16 Skills White Paper.

Discover Uni, operated by the UK HE funding and regulatory bodies, provides comprehensive courses, student and graduate outcomes, and earnings information via Graduate Outcomes and Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) Data. LEO provides a unique data source rarely available internationally linking education, employment, earnings or benefits records, valuable evidence on educational pathways and labour market outcomes supporting the focus on aligning education pathways with priority occupations and addressing skills shortages.

The OfS regulatory framework requires providers to comply with Competition and Markets Authority guidance on consumer protection, including providing prospective students with accurate destination information.

Information on the volume of traffic on roads across Great Britain is collected and published by the Department here https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-traffic-statistics.

The data held by the Department for 2000 to 2025 showed that 342.6 billion vehicle miles were travelled on Great Britain’s roads in 2025, compared to 289.6 billion miles in 2000.

The Department recognises that a cancer diagnosis can have a significant emotional and mental impact not only on patients but also on their children and wider families.

Children whose parents are diagnosed with cancer can access support through National Health Service cancer services, including advice and support from clinical teams, clinical nurse specialists support, and referral to psychological support services where clinically appropriate. Families can also access support from voluntary and community sector organisations, such as Young Lives vs Cancer and Macmillan Cancer Support, which provide information, practical assistance, and emotional support for children, young people, and families affected by cancer.

We continue to work with NHS England and stakeholders to improve support for people affected by cancer and their families.

Reservoirs require detailed feasibility studies to ensure they are located in the right place and designed to be safe, sustainable, and cost-effective. This involves surveying multiple potential sites, complex modelling for hydrology and geology, and refining designs through several rounds of consultation and technical review as new information is made available.

One of the biggest contributing factors to the high waiting times for approved driving instructor (ADI) practical tests is a considerable increase over recent years in the number of people applying to become an ADI. In May 2026, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) received over 1,700 applications from people wanting to start the process of becoming a driving instructor.  Demand for ADI tests is further exacerbated by the falling pass rate for the ADI part 3 test, which has fallen from 34.2% in 2023-24 to 27.8% in 2025-26, resulting in more candidates having to retake their test.

DVSA has and continues to recruit additional ADI examiners and has increased its capacity to train new examiners. ADI examiners cover several test centre locations and DVSA deploys them according to demand. To identify areas with higher demand, applicants can place ADI practical tests on hold and nominate their preferred test centre location and date. This helps DVSA deploy examiners where they are most needed. Where appropriate, priority is given to those nearing the end of their two-year qualification period. There are currently 66 potential driving instructors awaiting a test at Ashfield driving test centre.

It is vital that at the beginning of the learning process that PDIs and their trainers plan and structure their training according to the individual’s level of ability and current commitments to allow sufficient time for each of the three qualifying elements. This will also help to set realistic expectations about how much time and money the qualifying process takes and the likelihood of achieving full qualification.

DVSA is currently working through an end-to-end review of the ADI qualification journey and intends to improve the clarity and efficiency of the process while maintaining statutory standards.

One of the biggest contributing factors to the high waiting times for approved driving instructor (ADI) practical tests is a considerable increase over recent years in the number of people applying to become an ADI. In May 2026, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) received over 1,700 applications from people wanting to start the process of becoming a driving instructor.  Demand for ADI tests is further exacerbated by the falling pass rate for the ADI part 3 test, which has fallen from 34.2% in 2023-24 to 27.8% in 2025-26, resulting in more candidates having to retake their test.

DVSA has and continues to recruit additional ADI examiners and has increased its capacity to train new examiners. ADI examiners cover several test centre locations and DVSA deploys them according to demand. To identify areas with higher demand, applicants can place ADI practical tests on hold and nominate their preferred test centre location and date. This helps DVSA deploy examiners where they are most needed. Where appropriate, priority is given to those nearing the end of their two-year qualification period. There are currently 66 potential driving instructors awaiting a test at Ashfield driving test centre.

It is vital that at the beginning of the learning process that PDIs and their trainers plan and structure their training according to the individual’s level of ability and current commitments to allow sufficient time for each of the three qualifying elements. This will also help to set realistic expectations about how much time and money the qualifying process takes and the likelihood of achieving full qualification.

DVSA is currently working through an end-to-end review of the ADI qualification journey and intends to improve the clarity and efficiency of the process while maintaining statutory standards.

I refer the Hon. Member to answer given on 26 June in response to Question 11592, which details actions taken both nationally and by East Midlands Ambulance Service, which provides ambulance services in Nottinghamshire.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we are committed to returning by March 2029 to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, ensuring patients get timely access to the procedures they need.

We promised change, and we’ve delivered, with a reduction in the waiting list of over 290,000 since the Government came into office, despite over 44.7 million referrals onto the list in that period.

This progress has been made through setting ambitious targets, investing in modernisation, reforming and simplifying pathways, increasing surgical and diagnostic capacity, and empowering patients with faster and more convenient access to care.