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.
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 July 2025 to Question 66153 on Housing: Construction, if she will publish the analysis of the A12 widening scheme conducted in accordance with the HMT Treasury Green Book and her Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Detailed information on the analysis of the A12 widening scheme, conducted in accordance with the HMT Treasury Green Book and the Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance, was published on the Planning Inspectorate’s website, available here: https://national-infrastructure consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/TR010060.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, If she has undertaken an assessment of the net present value using the Green Book methodology of (a) the A12 Widening Scheme, (b) each of the infrastructure schemes referenced in her Oral Statement of 8 July 2025 on Road and Rail Projects, Official Report, columns 815-837 and (c) proposals for the A120 Dualling Scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department uses a five-dimension business case to inform decisions about transport investments, in line with the HM Treasury Green Book and the Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance. Within that, the Department considers benefits and costs in present value terms, as part of the overall business case. This includes strategic road schemes.
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 66155 on A12: Repairs and Maintenance, how much funding she has allocated for the costs of ending the A12 widening scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways is moving to end the A12 widening scheme and will publish details on costs incurred in its Annual Report and Accounts in due course. The costs will be funded from resources made available to National Highways in the usual way.
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 66154 on A12: Repairs and Maintenance, if she will publish the evidence she assessed when making the decision to cancel the A12 widening scheme.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
There are no plans to publish officials’ advice to Ministers, as has been the usual practice of successive administrations, including the one the Rt Hon Lady served in.