It is a pleasure, as ever, to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for West Dorset (Chris Loder) on securing this debate, and I pay tribute to him for the manner in which he conveyed some challenging personal experiences on the part of his constituents and others. Ambulance services have faced extraordinary pressures over the past 18 months, with infection prevention measures, delays in hospital handovers, and staff absence contributing to a 22% increase in calls answered in December 2021 compared to December 2020. Despite these challenges, performance for category 1 calls has largely been maintained at around nine minutes on average over the last several months. The UK government invested £55 million to manage winter pressures, increasing call handling and operational response capacity by boosting staff numbers by 700. NHS England is also investing in health and wellbeing support for ambulance trusts and undertaking targeted support for hospitals with delays, including a £4.4 million capital investment to keep an additional 154 ambulances on the road this winter. Regarding military aid, while the military played a crucial role during the pandemic, their capacity for specific requests such as clinically qualified Army medics or blue-light ambulance drivers is limited. The Ministry of Defence provides support in logistics and non-driving roles, with 366 personnel currently supporting ambulance services. While acknowledging the military's assistance, the minister emphasised that long-term investment in healthcare systems is crucial to address ongoing challenges.