It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Steve Yemm) for securing this important debate, highlighting the challenges faced by Nottinghamshire due to years of under-investment in road maintenance. The Government are providing a record £7.3 billion for highway maintenance over the next four years and an additional £2 billion in transport funding through 2031-32 specifically for the east midlands region. This investment is backed by a strengthened accountability system, including transparency measures that require councils to publish annual reports on road conditions and repair methods. Nottinghamshire was rated amber overall due to its current condition of roads despite adequate spending. The minister emphasized the importance of preventive maintenance and innovative approaches like Live Labs 2 for improving road safety, aiming to reduce road fatalities by 65% by 2035. Funding is tied to performance criteria that ensure authorities focus on long-term outcomes rather than short-term fixes.