Foreword

Britain will not be able to compete in the modern world unless we improve our infrastructure. Our transport systems are congested. Many of our older and more polluting power stations will come to the end of their lives over the next decade. Increases in population will put more pressure on our water supplies and advances in technology will increase demand for digital connectivity.

Investing in infrastructure is a key part of this Government's economic strategy. At the 2010 Spending Review we protected capital spending and committed to prioritise investment in infrastructure projects that would support growth.

Last year, thanks to the work of Infrastructure UK and its Chair Paul Skinner, we published the first ever National Infrastructure Plan. We are now updating that plan. This document sets out a comprehensive and detailed strategy for coordinating and planning public and private investment in UK infrastructure. It provides investors, builders and operators of infrastructure with the transparency and commitment which they lacked for a decade.

We will invest in all parts of the UK, helping to promote growth across regions and nations. The decisions we have made to support new roads and railways, to build a high-speed broadband network and put our energy supply onto a more sustainable footing will create the foundations of a stronger, sustainable and more balanced economy. Britain's infrastructure will be made fit for the 21st century.