Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she will publish the full comparative benefit cost ratios of the transport schemes which she announced as (a) approved and (b) cancelled on 8 July 2025.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Business case documents, costs, and benefit cost ratios for major schemes, including for the Strategic Road Network and for relevant schemes in the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline, are published on gov.uk.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department notified the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government of its plan to cancel the A12 widening scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government inherited a series of unfunded commitments, including on the A12.
In July 2025, the Government announced that following the conclusion of the Spending Review it had taken the difficult decision to cancel the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme, to provide certainty to the public.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) was notified at the time. The decision was based on evidence, to which MHCLG contributed, assessed against a wide range of criteria, including housing impacts.
The A12 scheme had been repeatedly deferred by the previous Government, in which the Rt Hon Member served.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the cost-benefit ratio for the proposed A120 dualling scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department’s most recent formal assessment of the value for money (VfM) and benefit cost ratio (BCR) for the proposed A120 Braintree to A12 scheme was completed in February 2022.
Five options were assessed at the time, and the BCRs of each ranged from 1.52 – 2.37, meaning that the VfM range was medium to high. The costs and benefits values used at that time are now out of date, however, and BCRs and VfM ratings are only one part of the overall assessment of a scheme’s deliverability, alongside broader strategic considerations and affordability.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2025 to Questions 77047 on East Anglia Rail Franchise: Nationalisation, when she will publish the services agreement.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Services Agreement will be made available on the Department for Transport website in due course.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 70427 on East Anglia Rail Franchise: Nationalisation, whether she plans to (a) sign and (b) publish the Services Agreement before 12 October 2025; what the differences are between that Services Agreement and the existing franchise agreement; and which stakeholders have been consulted.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Services Agreement with the new public sector operator will come into force as Greater Anglia’s National Rail Contract expires and services transfer into public ownership on 12 October 2025. It will be made available on the Department for Transport website in due course.
Services Agreements have been designed to reflect the long-term public ownership of passenger services. A range of stakeholders were consulted and engaged in the design of the Services Agreement template, including train operating companies, DFT Operator Limited, Network Rail and passenger representatives. Services Agreements are customer-focused, performance-focused and will support the financial sustainability of the railways for taxpayers. The Agreements focus on the whole-industry outcomes we want operators to deliver and enable more decisions to be taken by those closest to passengers.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to announce regulated rail fare changes for 2026.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
No decisions have been taken on the regulated fares change for 2026, but our aim is that prices balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers. There will be an update on changes to regulated rail fares in due course.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on which dates services agreements were (a) signed and (b) published covering rail services on (i) C2C and (ii) South Western Railway when those franchises were brought under public ownership.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Services Agreements with South Western Railway Limited and c2c Railway Limited were signed on 23 May 2025 and 16 July 2025 and came into force on 25 May 2025 and 20 July 2025 respectively. The Agreements will be made available on the Department for Transport website in due course.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of income from East Anglia rail services in each of the next five financial years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
I expect Greater Anglia to continue to grow passenger numbers and income. I expect Greater Anglia will remain a net contributor, with the exact net contribution amounts and income levels to be agreed during the rolling business planning process.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to decommission the A12 widening scheme; and what estimate she has made of the (a) timescale and (b) cost of that process.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is working with National Highways to bring the scheme to a close in an orderly way to end a long period of uncertainty for those affected. We are anticipating that the scheme will be substantially closed down by the end of 2026, with some activities closing down sooner.
National Highways will publish details on costs incurred in its Annual Report and Accounts in due course.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2025 to Question 66157 on A12: Repairs and Maintenance, what resources she has made available for small-scale interventions on the A12.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The necessary resources will be made available for the Department to continue to work with National Highways and relevant partners to explore what small-scale interventions could potentially address issues on the A12.