Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of an enhanced A5 on (a) regional connectivity between the East and the West Midlands and (b) aligning East Midlands transport spending in line with comparative regions.

The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), published in March 2026, included a series of improvements to the A5 as part of the pipeline of future planned enhancement schemes to be delivered in the 2030s. These schemes, should they pass the necessary business case and other approvals in due course, would improve the performance of the A5 as a key strategic route connecting the East and West Midlands and would represent a significant investment for the region.