Priti Patel
Conservative - Witham
5,145 (10.2%) majority - 2024 General ElectionFirst elected: 6th May 2010
Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
(since November 2024)4 Former APPG memberships
East of England, Fair Fuel for UK Motorists and UK Hauliers, Freeports, MotorsportDivision Voting information
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
(20 debate interactions)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(13 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(64 debate contributions)
(28 debate contributions)
(4 debate contributions)
(3 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
(2,318 words contributed)
(1,382 words contributed)
Witham Petitions
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
of 34,978 signatures (0.31%)
of 239,440 signatures (0.25%)
of 78,558 signatures (0.25%)
of 149,676 signatures (0.24%)
of 239,440 signatures (0.25%)
of 228,513 signatures (0.22%)
of 252,367 signatures (0.19%)
of 149,676 signatures (0.24%)
Latest EDMs signed by Priti Patel
Town and Country Planning
Tabled by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that the Town and Country Planning (Former RAF Airfield Wethersfield) (Accommodation for Asylum-Seekers etc.) Special Development Order 2024 (S.I., 2024, No. 411), dated 20 March 2024, a copy of which was laid before this House on 21 March 2024, be …
(Most recent: 25 Apr 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 8
Conservative: 2
Town and Country Planning
Tabled by: Keir Starmer (Labour - Holborn and St Pancras)That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, praying that the Town and Country Planning (Former RAF Scampton) (Accommodation for Asylum-Seekers etc.) Special Development Order 2024 (S.I., 2024, No. 412), dated 20 March 2024, a copy of which was laid before this House on 21 March 2024, be annulled.
(Most recent: 30 Apr 2024)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 22
Labour: 9
Commons initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Priti Patel, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
8 Urgent Questions tabled by Priti Patel
Priti Patel has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
12 Bills introduced by Priti Patel
Make provision about threats to national security from espionage, sabotage and persons acting for foreign powers; about the extra-territorial application of Part 2 of the Serious Crime Act 2007; about the award of damages in proceedings relating to national security and the payment of damages at risk of being used for the purposes of terrorism; about the availability of legal aid to persons connected with terrorism; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 11th July 2023 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision for new offences relating to public order; to make provision about stop and search powers; to make provision about the exercise of police functions relating to public order; to make provision about proceedings by the Secretary of State relating to protest-related activities; to make provision about serious disruption prevention orders; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 2nd May 2023 and was enacted into law.
Make provision about nationality, asylum and immigration; to make provision about victims of slavery or human trafficking; to provide a power for Tribunals to charge participants where their behaviour has wasted the Tribunal’s resources; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 28th April 2022 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision about the application of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 where a building contains two or more sets of domestic premises; and to confer power to amend that order in future for the purposes of changing the premises to which it applies.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 29th April 2021 and was enacted into law.
To make provision in relation to domestic abuse; to make provision for and in connection with the establishment of a Domestic Abuse Commissioner; to prohibit cross-examination in person in family proceedings in certain circumstances; to make provision about certain violent or sexual offences, and offences involving other abusive behaviour, committed outside the United Kingdom; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 29th April 2021 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision to end rights to free movement of persons under retained EU law and to repeal other retained EU law relating to immigration; to confer power to modify retained direct EU legislation relating to social security co-ordination; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 11th November 2020 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision for, and in connection with, the authorisation of criminal conduct in the course of, or otherwise in connection with, the conduct of covert human intelligence sources.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 1st March 2021 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to Set up a register of overseas entities and their beneficial owners and require overseas entities who own land to register in certain circumstances; to make provision about unexplained wealth orders; and to make provision about sanctions.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 14th March 2022 and was enacted into law.
To provide for the payment out of money provided by Parliament of expenditure incurred by the Secretary of State or a government department under, or in connection with, the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 8th June 2020 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to amend the amount of the limit in section 15 of the Commonwealth Development Corporation Act 1999 on the government’s financial assistance.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 23rd February 2017 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to make provision approving for the purposes of section 8 of the European Union Act 2011 certain draft decisions under Article 352 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
This Bill received Royal Assent on 17th December 2015 and was enacted into law.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for a code of practice to be observed by all those working in the criminal justice system setting out the rights of victims of crime and their families; and for connected purposes;
Wednesday 14th December 2011
7 Bills co-sponsored by Priti Patel
Roadworks (Regulation) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Mark Francois (Con)
Public office (child sexual abuse) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Alexander Stafford (Con)
House of Commons (Precedence of Government Business) (European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018)
Sponsor - William Cash (Con)
Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Pauline Latham (Con)
Gypsy and Traveller Communities (Housing, Planning and Education) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Andrew Selous (Con)
Representation of the People (Gibraltar) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Lord Mackinlay of Richborough (Con)
Prisons (Substance Testing) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Bim Afolami (Con)
Latest 50 Written Questions
(View all written questions)Pursuant to my answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 30615, the Attorney General’s meeting did not constitute part of formal negotiations. The Attorney General and his Mauritian counterpart discussed relations between our two countries; their respective responsibilities as two Attorneys General; and referenced the ongoing negotiations regarding the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
As with any policy area, policy questions should be directed to the responsible Government department.
Regarding legal advice, paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states: “By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”
This is known as the Law Officers’ Convention, and it applies to your question.
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
Since July 2024, the Attorney General and his officials have had one meeting with a representative of the Government of Mauritius.
This was a courtesy meeting with Mr Gavin Glover, the visiting Attorney General of Mauritius, in January 2025.
Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The ISF funding level in 2025/26 will be published shortly. Funding levels for future years will be considered as part of the second phase of the Spending Review.
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This Government continues to stand firm on the issue of human rights in China, including relating to Hong Kong and Jimmy Lai. The recent visit by the Secretary of State gave the opportunity to discuss issues that matter to the UK with senior levels of the Chinese government, including areas where we disagree.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The bill discount scheme will apply to eligible domestic residents and is planned to go live from 2026 once regulations have been laid, when Parliamentary time allows. Eligibility will be set out in regulations, but our aim is that major new transmission projects needed for 2030 will be eligible. Further impact analysis will be conducted prior to scheme introduction. The proposed funding mechanism is by an obligation on electricity suppliers, so it would not directly impact the cost of an infrastructure project. The Government has also published community funds guidance, which could apply to transmission projects yet to start construction.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Planning Inspectorate website states that the Norwich to Tilbury project is at the pre-application stage, and that the application is expected to be submitted for examination between June and August 2025. Information can be found here https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN020027. The Examining Authority’s Report should therefore come to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for decision in 2026. This project is therefore one of the Development Consent Order (DCO) decisions that would count towards the Prime Minister’s target of taking 150 DCO decisions in this Parliament.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Renewable liquid fuels could play a limited role in heating. As sustainable biomass is a limited resource, the Government expect to prioritise its use in sectors like aviation, and potentially homes that are not readily suitable for heat pumps, as these offer the greatest opportunity to reduce emissions and have fewest alternative options to decarbonise. The price of renewable liquid heating fuels is higher than fuels that are currently used off the gas grid. The Government would need to ensure they are affordable before making any decisions on whether to support wider deployment, including the introduction of any obligations.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Full account is taken of potential local community impacts when determining an energy infrastructure application. The Planning Act 2008 requires developers to engage with the local authority (or authorities) and consult the local community on a proposed development before submitting an application. Developers must take into account local community views when developing their proposals.
It is the government’s priority to build support for developments by ensuring communities directly benefit.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are committed to a more strategic approach to energy planning and will shortly commission NESO to produce the first Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP). The commission is the first step in the process, setting out our expectations for how the SSEP will be produced and governed. It will also include details on timelines for development, consultations and publication.
The SSEP will build upon independent advice provided by NESO on the pathway to delivering clean power by 2030 commissioned in August 2024.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government will make use of all available data to inform any future decisions on decarbonising heat in domestic and commercial properties off the gas grid.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It is the responsibility of the developers of electricity network projects – in this case National Grid Electricity Transmission - to propose a route and obtain planning permission for that route. The government sets the rules for a robust and independent planning process that communities can participate in, with consultation being a central element of the planning process. Any engagement by Ministers must consider the role of the Secretary of State in deciding on planning applications for energy projects, and the limitations on discussing live projects in the development process which have not come to the Planning Inspectorate.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
It is the responsibility of the developers of electricity network projects – in this case National Grid Electricity Transmission - to propose a route and obtain planning permission for that route. The government sets the rules for a robust and independent planning process that communities can participate in, with consultation being a central element of the planning process. Any engagement by Ministers must consider the role of the Secretary of State in deciding on planning applications for energy projects, and the limitations on discussing live projects in the development process which have not come to the Planning Inspectorate.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Office for National Statistics publish 2021 Census estimates of occupied household spaces in England and Wales by central heating type, at lower tier local authority level: https://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS046/editions/2021/versions/4
The evidence base for non-domestic buildings is being developed by this Department through the Non-Domestic Building Stock project. Analysis of a survey of large off-gas grid buildings shows national-level estimates of energy source in Tables 26 and 27: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65c3bc2c28a4a00012d2ba61/non-domestic-building-stock-large-off-gas-grid-premises.pdf
The Department also publishes non-domestic building statistics in England and Wales. Tables 3A and 10 include data on the number of off-gas grid buildings, broken down to lower authority and constituency level:
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As details of the guidance on community benefits are still under development, we are not in a position to estimate the costs of providing such benefits to communities affected by the Norwich to Tilbury grid upgrade. We will provide an update at the appropriate time.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department publishes total and regional breakdowns of UK electricity generation by renewable technology here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/regional-renewable-statistics. Breakdowns of generation for each offshore wind farm cannot be provided as this is commercially sensitive information.
The Department does not publish generation forecasts for future projects - these will depend on specific factors such as precise site design and turbine size (among others) which may not yet be publicly known. Some individual developers will publish estimated output on their project websites.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Due to a change in the grant administrator, the Department only has such data from August 2022, since then, the Department has paid 351 grants to 135 individual listed places of worship in Essex to a total value of £1,129,393.
Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government announced at Budget a £2.3 billion increase to the core schools budget for the 2025/26 financial year. This funding increase includes funding for mainstream schools and high needs funding for complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Funding for mainstream schools will be distributed to schools following the existing funding formula, which includes consideration of pupil numbers and other characteristics. The funding allocations to local authorities for 2025/26 are calculated using the latest pupil numbers from the October 2024 census.
Local authorities are responsible for securing enough school places for children in their area. We provide capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities to provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data. They can use this funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions of existing schools and can work with any school in their local area, including academies and free schools.
Departmental Pupil Place Planning Advisors engage with councils on a regular basis to review their plans for creating additional places and to consider alternatives where necessary. When local authorities are experiencing difficulties, we support them to find solutions as quickly as possible. Where local authorities are failing in their duty, the government will intervene.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
At the Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced an additional £2.3 billion for mainstream schools and young people with high needs for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to the 2024/25 financial year. This means that overall core school funding will total almost £63.9 billion next year.
Through the schools national funding formula (NFF), Essex will receive £5,379 per primary pupil and £6,984 per secondary pupil in mainstream schools in the 2025/26 financial year. These per pupil figures will be used to calculate final allocations for 2025/26 through the dedicated schools grant (DSG) in December, based on updated pupil numbers.
The provisional funding allocation for primary and secondary schools in Essex based on the 2024/25 DSG pupil numbers is £642.0 million and £587.2 million respectively. These figures do not include premises funding or growth funding.
The department does not provide school funding figures at constituency level. The individual allocations that schools within Witham constituency will actually receive are determined each year by the local funding formula set by Essex County Council.
Almost £1 billion of the £2.3 billion increase announced at the Autumn Budget 2024 has been allocated to high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities and those in alternative provision (AP) to £11.9 billion.
Of that total, Essex County Council is being allocated a provisional high needs funding amount of over £259 million through the high needs NFF. This represents an 8.9% increase per head of their 2 to 18 year old population, on their equivalent 2024/25 financial year NFF allocation. It is for local authorities to decide how to distribute the funding to special and AP schools in their local area.
Essex County Council will also be allocated extra funding for pay and pensions costs in special schools and AP. This funding is additional to the allocations through the high needs NFF, and the department will confirm shortly how the funding allocations will be calculated.
Minister of State (Education)
At Budget, HM Treasury confirmed that all public sector organisations will be funded for the increase in employer contributions to national insurance in the 2025/26 financial year. This included additional funding for schools.
The allocations for the national funding formula for the 2025/26 financial year do not include the additional funding for the increase in employer contributions to national insurance from April 2025.
The department anticipates providing this funding to schools through a separate grant in the 2025/26 financial year. It will provide more information on this, including funding rates and allocations, as soon as practicable.
Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
The department is providing an increase of almost £1 billion for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion.
The department is providing this increase to high needs funding to help meet the increase in costs local authorities will be facing next year, as they in turn provide support to schools and pupils with SEND. The impact on individual local authorities’ deficits will be variable, and it remains important that every local authority looks at what it can do within the current system to manage its high needs budget while continuing to provide the support that children with SEND need.
The department is now in the process of calculating local authorities’ indicative high needs funding allocations for the 2025/26 financial year, which it expects to publish before the end of November.
High needs budgets beyond the 2025/26 financial year are a matter for the next stage of the multi-year spending review.
Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
The department is providing an increase of almost £1 billion for high needs budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion.
The department is providing this increase to high needs funding to help meet the increase in costs local authorities will be facing next year, as they in turn provide support to schools and pupils with SEND. The impact on individual local authorities’ deficits will be variable, and it remains important that every local authority looks at what it can do within the current system to manage its high needs budget while continuing to provide the support that children with SEND need.
The department is now in the process of calculating local authorities’ indicative high needs funding allocations for the 2025/26 financial year, which it expects to publish before the end of November.
High needs budgets beyond the 2025/26 financial year are a matter for the next stage of the multi-year spending review.
Minister of State (Education)
Academies Enterprise Trust informed the department of its intention to change name as part of the department’s regular engagement with them and subsequently confirmed this in writing.
Academy trusts may change their name but must notify Companies House and the department once they have decided to do so.
It is for a trust to determine its name and consider how this affects its public image.
Minister of State (Education)
Schools selected for the school rebuilding programme (SRP) will enter delivery at a rate of around 50 per year. All schools, including those announced in February 2024, have been given individual indicative start dates, so responsible bodies can prepare and make informed decisions around their estate.
Once they have entered delivery, SRP projects have taken on average 3-5 years to complete. We assess the individual timelines at each school once delivery begins.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The majority of international shipping ceased operating through the Red Sea after Houthi attacks began in November 2023 and has not returned. My Department continues to provide advice to UK-flagged shipping in the region, and this is kept under regular review.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Capital Review is an internal review, therefore the Panel’s terms of reference and proceedings are internal to the Department. Panel members are providing their time voluntarily and have not received any expenses or other financial recompense. The Panel has no allocated budget and the only costs incurred are through a small official secretariat.
The Capital Review’s primary aim is to provide the Secretary of State with strategic advice, not to provide advice on individual schemes.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It was announced in the Autumn Budget that Phase 2 of the Spending Review will conclude in late spring 2025. Until this time, it is not possible to assess the full impact of the extremely challenging financial inheritance this Government received on the A12 widening scheme and in turn its impact on (a) the economy and (b) road safety.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The 150 major infrastructure projects are defined as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), which are decided through the Development Consent Order (DCO) process. Government has not identified what all of the 150 projects will be, rather this represents what we expect to come through the system over this Parliament, as well as projects currently in the pipeline. Further details on existing NSIP projects can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.
Since the start of the current Parliament in July the department has issued decisions on two transport projects: Immingham Roll on Roll off facility and Immingham Green Energy Terminal.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The capital review is an internal review, and its primary aim is to provide the Secretary of State with strategic advice across the whole of the transport portfolio to help inform her decisions on projects as part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which it is currently doing.
The full list of panellists is available on the Department’s website: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/department-for-transport-capital-review-panel.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department announced in December that South-Western Railway’s services will be the first to transfer into public ownership in May 2025, followed by c2c’s services in July 2025 and Greater Anglia’s in the autumn. The Department will issue an expiry notice to Greater Anglia in due course to confirm the exact transfer date. Public ownership will mean all parts of the railway can pull together for the benefit of passengers, and bringing passenger services into public ownership is the first step in the Government’s wider programme of reform. Through future legislation, we will set out the role Great British Railways will have in fares, ticketing, and other operational aspects of the railway. Fares and ticketing will continue to be the responsibility of train operators until Great British Railways is established.
The Access for All programme has delivered step free access at more than 250 stations across Britain. Ministers are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme, including as it relates to Greater Anglia stations. Greater Anglia has taken steps to improve station accessibility with its work on virtual trains and station tours, and a new accessible footbridge will be installed at Stowmarket during 2025. The business planning round for 2025/26 is currently underway and proposals regarding redevelopments and rail infrastructure will be reviewed with decisions made in due course.
Greater Anglia invested £1.4 billion in new trains for the Anglia region and these new trains are delivering a real change in customer experience.
There has not been a recent estimate of passenger numbers in each of Greater Anglia’s stations in each year for the next ten years.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) for the Strategic Road Network will cover the five-year period from April 2026 to March 2031. We plan to publish RIS3 by the end of 2025. The draft RIS, including the funding envelope, will be published in late spring 2025. An Interim Settlement for National Highways will be in place from April 2025, covering the 2025-26, as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2024 Autumn Budget.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government’s 'Plan for Change' sets out that, through reforms and rule changes, 150 planning decisions on major infrastructure projects would be fast-tracked by the end of this Parliament. Rather than specifying schemes at this stage, this is about setting up an efficient and effective approach to making timely decisions for those projects that require it in the coming years.
A Development Consent Order planning permission on the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) was already granted in January 2024. The future of the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) scheme is being considered alongside other road projects, as part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review.
Given significant affordability challenges in RIS3, the previous government announced that the A120 (Braintree to A12) dualling scheme, alongside all other schemes in the RIS3 pipeline, would be deferred to RIS4, for potential delivery beyond 2030.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As set out in the Fixing the Foundations policy paper, this government has inherited £22bn worth of unfunded pressures from the previous government, including £2.9bn of unfunded transport commitments. There has not been a spending review since 2021.
It was announced in the Autumn Budget that Phase 2 of the Spending Review will conclude in late spring 2025. Until this time, it is not possible to assess the full impact of the financial inheritance on the A12 widening scheme and in turn its impact on (a) the economy, (b) road safety and (c) the projected cost to the public purse of the scheme.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Greater Anglia will be brought into public ownership, with its date for transfer scheduled for Autumn 2025. The business planning round for 2025/26 is currently underway and plans regarding service quality, ticket pricing, business model and timetables will be agreed in due course. The Department will continue to hold operators to account for their performance and ensure the best outcomes for passengers.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Access for All programme has delivered step free access at more than 250 stations across Britain. Ministers are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. We are unable to comment on next steps regarding specific stations including on Greater Anglia services at the moment.
Greater Anglia have taken steps to improve station accessibility with their work on virtual trains and station tours and a new accessible footbridge will be installed at Stowmarket during 2025. The business planning round for 25/26 is currently underway and proposals regarding redevelopments and rail infrastructure will be reviewed with decisions made in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Written Statement, HCWS281, outlined that Greater Anglia’s services will transfer into public ownership in autumn 2025 and that an expiry notice will be issued to Greater Anglia in due course to confirm the exact date. Bringing passenger services into public ownership was a clear manifesto commitment and the Department has no plans to consult on this.
Bringing these services into public ownership is an initial step towards wider rail reform, including establishing Great British Railways. The Department will set out proposals for these further, fundamental reforms in a consultation which will be launched around the turn of the year.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network. The Government will confirm 2025/26 funding allocations to English local highway authorities, including Essex County Council, in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local highway network. The Government will confirm 2025/26 funding allocations to English local highway authorities, including Essex County Council, in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Development Consent Order (DCO) application for the A12 Chelmsford to A120 widening scheme, was granted on 12 January 2024. I can confirm that the DCO was determined within the statutory timeframes.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local road network. Within the Budget on 30 October, the Chancellor announced that for the 2025/26 financial year there would be a £500 million increase for local highways maintenance funding in England, an increase of nearly 50% compared to the current financial year. Funding allocations for specific local highway authorities for 2025/26, including Essex County Council, will be confirmed in due course.
Funding allocations for individual local highway authorities beyond 2025/26 will be a matter for the forthcoming Spending Review.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 30 July 2024, the Secretary of State announced that she was commissioning a review of the Department’s capital spend portfolio.
This review is ongoing and will support the development of our long-term strategy for transport, developing a modern and integrated network with people at its heart, ensuring that transport infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time.
The A12 Chelmsford to A120 widening scheme is being considered as part of the capital review alongside other future road projects.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities. Since its launch in 2006, the Access for All programme has delivered step free access at more than 250 stations across Great Britain.
Since April 2024, Access for All projects have entered into passenger service at nine stations, with a further 25 stations scheduled to enter into passenger service by April 2025.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The A120 Braintree to A12 dualling scheme is part of the pipeline of projects being considered for possible delivery as part of a future Road Investment Strategy beyond 2030.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 30 July 2024, the Secretary of State announced that she was commissioning a review of the Department’s capital spend portfolio.
This review will support the development of our long-term strategy for transport, developing a modern and integrated network with people at its heart, ensuring that transport infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time.
I regularly meet with National Highways to discuss a range of matters and will continue to do so during the capital review and after.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 30 July 2024, the Secretary of State announced that she was commissioning a review of the Department’s capital spend portfolio.
This review will support the development of our long-term strategy for transport, developing a modern and integrated network with people at its heart, ensuring that transport infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time.
The A12 Chelmsford to A120 widening scheme will be considered as part of the capital review alongside other future road projects and, as the Rt Hon Member will know, major investment decisions are a matter for the forthcoming Spending Review.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is committed to maintaining and renewing the local road network. To this end, we will provide authorities with funding to help them fix up to one million more potholes across England in each year of this parliament.
Essex County Council will receive £34.5 million from the Department for Transport during 2024/25 to enable it to carry out its local highway maintenance responsibilities. Funding for future years is a matter for the Spending Review.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are carefully considering the best approach to the Access for All programme. This Government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)