To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help improve transport connectivity in (a) Heywood and (b) Middleton.

We are committed to maximising transport investment benefits for housing and regeneration across Greater Manchester, including in Middleton and Heywood. Working with Mayors and local leaders, we are developing local plans for new housing and jobs through better transport connectivity.

We are providing substantial transport funding for the Greater Manchester region, including over £1bn from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) for 2022/23 – 2026/27. Additionally, an extra £200m for CRSTS was announced in October to further support transport in major city regions, including Greater Manchester. This supports tram, bus, and active travel improvements, such as tram-train infrastructure between Oldham, Rochdale, Heywood, and Bury.

We're also backing Greater Manchester’s Bee Network with £66.3m for buses in 2025/26, protecting and supporting services, and delivering Bus Service Improvement Plans. Additionally, £15.8m will go towards highways maintenance in Greater Manchester in 2025/26.