Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62574 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Cost Effectiveness, what savings he expects to make from the FCDO2030 change programme in each of the next five years.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Spending Review settlement, we will invest £290 million in capability-building and digital tools that will transform how we work over the coming years. FCDO will be a more agile organisation, better able to deliver tangible benefits for the British people. We anticipate a significant reduction in terms of headcount across all staff by the end of 2028/29.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral statement by her of 8 July 2025 on Road and Rail Projects, Official Report, column 815, if she will publish the (a) full detailed Green Book analysis, (b) costs and (c) benefits cost ratios for (i) each of the 50 schemes announced in that speech and (ii) the A12 widening scheme.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - 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.

For the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme, information is already available on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

For the wider set of 50 schemes referenced in the Secretary of State’s statement on 8 July 2025, detailed Green Book analyses, costs, and benefit cost ratios for each scheme have not been published as a single package.

The scheme-level business cases and economic assessments for projects in the Government Major Projects Portfolio are published as they are finalised and reach the appropriate stage in the investment process. Summary information on costs and benefit cost ratios for major transport schemes may also be found in the Department for Transport’s Major Projects Portfolio, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/major-projects-data

In the case of Major Road Network schemes, the business cases belong to the relevant local authorities. Whilst we encourage them to publish these, it is their decision whether to publish their business cases on their respective websites.

As each scheme progresses, further documentation is released and made available on gov.uk as appropriate. The Government is committed to transparency and will continue to make business case documents available in line with Green Book and Treasury guidance as schemes move forward.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cancellation of the A12 widening scheme on housing growth.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As announced on 8 July 2025, this Government inherited a series of commitments that could not be afforded, therefore the Secretary of State for Transport had to take the difficult decision not to progress the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) Widening Scheme. The decision was based on evidence assessed against a wide range of criteria including housing growth impacts and in line with the HMT Treasury Green Book and the Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance. The Department will continue to work with National Highways and relevant partners to explore whether there are any small-scale interventions to potentially address issues on the A12 to support housing growth.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his speech at the British Chambers of Commerce on 20 March 2025, how many diplomats have been seconded to businesses since 20 March 2025; what the (a) cost and (b) staffing requirement will be of the Diplomatic Advisory Hub; which priority markets have been identified; whether he has set (i) targets and (ii) key performance indicators for ambassadors in priority markets; when he plans to announce the programme of domestic roadshows; on which dates the quarterly Lancaster House Business Engagement Series will take place in (A) 2025 and (B) future years; and which ambassadors have produced Strategic Economic Growth Plans.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is driving UK growth across the new Industrial Strategy's priority sectors through Strategic Economic Growth Plans. These prioritise markets with the biggest potential to drive UK Growth, including the EU, the US and China, and a range of other economically important markets, such as India and Japan. The Foreign Secretary chairs regular Delivery Boards to monitor and accelerate delivery across the FCDO towards the Government's Growth Mission, for which key performance indicators are being developed, and agreed. The FCDO is planning a number of events for the Lancaster House Business Engagement Series, including a first event set for July. The FCDO is progressing work on a range of business placements, the first due later this year, and working with the British Chambers of Commerce on plans for the Diplomatic Advisory Hub.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she considered including Marks Tey railway station in the rail access for all feasibility studies.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.

In May 2024, the previous government selected 50 stations for initial feasibility work for potential upgrades as part of our Access for All programme. This did not include Marks Tey Railway station. We expect to provide an update to stakeholders further during the summer.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on plans for the A120 dualling scheme, in the context of the cancellation of the A12 widening scheme.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Working closely with local partners, National Highways has developed options to improve the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey as part of the pipeline of projects being developed for possible delivery in a future Road Investment Strategy. Schemes in the RIS pipeline are uncommitted, and the Department will need to take decisions on which are the most viable for delivery. The Department expects to confirm which schemes remain in the Pipeline, and which will continue to be developed, when RIS3 is published early next year.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether papers from the previous Government were disclosed to Ministers in the Administration relating to the UK-Mauritius negotiations.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government has complied with the guidance set out in the Cabinet Manual on the access to papers of a previous administration.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62581 on Chagos Islands: Sovereignty, whether his Department has made an estimate of the (a) yearly payment schedules for the duration of the lease and (b) related inflationary uplifts; and what estimate he has made of cash payments to Mauritius in years (i) one to 10, (ii) 11 to 20, (iii) 21 to 30, (iv) 31 to 40, (v) 41 to 50, (vi) 51 to 60, (vii) 61 to 70, (viii) 71 to 80, (ix) 81 to 90 and (x) 90 to 99 of the lease.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer to her previous question 57197.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Oral Statement of 7 October 2024 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Negotiations, Official Report, column 46, on what evidential basis he stated that Mauritius will authorise us to exercise their sovereign rights and authorities in respect of Diego Garcia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

This formed part of the negotiations with the Government of Mauritius and was subsequently included in Article 2 of the Treaty.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with (a) international partners and (b) representatives from the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab Ukraine Conflict Observatory on the future funding of the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab Ukraine Conflict Observatory to support its work on tracking Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK is an active member of the International Coalition for the Return of Children, whose work includes supporting initiatives to identify, locate, and return children to their families. On the issue of tracking Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, we are working closely with the Government of Ukraine to identify which Open-Source Intelligence providers will best meet their needs to provide this data going forward.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on continuing to fund the organisations tracking Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK-led multi-donor Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) is providing more than £5.7 million of funding for support to the return and reintegration of children - of which the UK contributes a third. Through this fund, we have supported Bring Kids Back, Save Ukraine, and other leading child protection civil society organisations.

In addition, the UK is an active member of the International Coalition for the Return of Children, whose work includes supporting initiatives to identify, locate, and return children to their families.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the earlier draft of the UK-Mauritius Treaty from October 2024 gave the UK a unilateral right to extend the lease after the initial 99 year period.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said in his statement to Parliament in October 2024, the UK negotiated a right to extend the duration of the Treaty beyond 99 years. This was subsequently included in Article 13 of the Treaty.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Article 5 of the UK-Mauritius Treaty ,when he expects the Mauritian Government to establish a Marine Protected Area in the Chagos Archipelago.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the reply given to her question 59325.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 60851 on Gibraltar: Sovereignty, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the sovereignty clause on Gibraltar.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The sovereignty clause safeguards UK sovereignty over Gibraltar. It makes clear that the Treaty is explicitly not about Gibraltar's sovereignty. We are steadfast in our support for Gibraltar, which remains a critical part of our wider UK family.

This Government is fully committed to the double lock: we will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another State against their freely and democratically expressed wishes. And we will never enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Oral Statement of 7 October 2024 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Negotiations, Official Report, column 46, on what evidential basis he stated that the UK has the right to extend the 99 year period.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said in his statement in October 2024, the UK negotiated a right to extend the duration of the Treaty beyond 99 years. This formed part of the negotiations with the Government of Mauritius and was subsequently included in Article 13 of the Treaty.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she made an assessment of the potential impact of cancelling the A12 Widening Scheme on housing growth.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As announced on 8 July 2025, this Government inherited a series of commitments that could not be afforded. Therefore, the Secretary of State for Transport had to take the difficult decision not to progress the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) Widening Scheme. The decision was based on evidence assessed against a wide range of criteria, including housing growth impacts, and in line with the HMT Treasury Green Book and the Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance. The Department will continue to work with National Highways and relevant partners to explore whether there are any small-scale interventions to potentially address issues on the A12 to support housing growth.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cancellation of the A12 widening scheme on (a) levels of congestion, (b) road safety and (c) the economy.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As announced on 8 July 2025, this Government inherited a series of commitments that could not be afforded. Therefore, the Secretary of State for Transport had to take the difficult decision not to progress the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) Widening Scheme.

The decision was based on evidence assessed against a wide range of criteria including (a) congestion, (b) road safety and (c) the economy and in line with the HMT Treasury Green Book and the Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total cost to the public purse is for the A12 widening scheme.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As announced on 8 July 2025, this Government inherited a series of commitments that could not be afforded. Therefore, the Secretary of State for Transport had to take the difficult decision not to progress the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) Widening Scheme. In 2022, the A12 scheme had an estimated cost of between £1,045 million and £1,268 million, on the assumption of a start of works in 2023/24 under the previous government, which did not happen. Had the scheme proceeded following Spending Review 2025, the cost of delivery to the earliest timetable would be greater because of increases in prices over time and other factors. Following cancellation, National Highways will be working to bring the scheme to a close and will publish details on costs incurred in its Annual Report and Accounts in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was of purchasing (a) land and (b) properties as part of the A12 widening scheme; and how (a) much land and (b) many properties were purchased.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As announced on 8 July 2025, this Government inherited a series of commitments that could not be afforded. Therefore, the Secretary of State for Transport had to take the difficult decision not to progress the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) Widening Scheme.

The cost to the public purse to date of purchasing a) land is £0.8 million and b) the cost to the public purse to date of purchasing properties is £19.9 million; and a) 38,600 square metres of land and b) 26 properties have been purchased. Following cancellation of the scheme, National Highways will be working to bring the scheme to a close and will publish details on costs incurred in its Annual Report and Accounts in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of undertaking a public consultation with the Chagossian community prior to the (a) announcement of the agreement with Mauritius over the future sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory and (b) signing of the UK-Mauritius Treaty on 22 May 2025.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The negotiations were between the UK and Mauritius with our priority being to secure the full operation of the base on Diego Garcia. The UK Government regularly engages Chagossian groups and representatives at both official and Ministerial levels on a range of issues and will continue to do so.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding for maintenance of the A12 will be made available in the (a) current and (b) next five financial years; and what proportion of that funding will be allocated for maintenance between junctions 19 and 25.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

In total, over £5.6 million has been earmarked for improving various aspects of the A12 in the current financial year (2025/26) and about 7% of this is designated for works around junctions 19 to 25.

It is too early to set out what funding for maintenance of the A12 will be earmarked in the next five financial years (2026/27-2030/31). Over this period, National Highways will maintain a proactive approach to monitoring the condition and performance of the A12. Key activities will include weekly safety inspections to ensure the immediate safety of the network, annual visual condition inspections and machine-based surveys which will assist with identifying asset renewal needs. These activities form part of National Highways’ ongoing asset management strategy to ensure the A12 continues to meet performance standards and remains fit for purpose throughout the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) period.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question UIN 66153 on Housing: Construction, if she will publish (a) the evidence, (b) criteria and (c) methodology used to assess the A12 widening scheme; and the scoring outcome of the A12 widening scheme against that criteria.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As set out in the answer of 14 July 2025 to Question UIN 66153, this Government inherited a series of commitments that could not be afforded and the decision not to progress the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) Widening Scheme was based on evidence assessed against a wide range of criteria including housing growth impacts and in line with the HM Treasury Green Book and the Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance.

As examples of evidence, the Rt Hon Member for Witham has advocated for the A12 Widening Scheme in the House and in correspondence over many years and detailed information about the Scheme was published on the Planning Inspectorate’s website, available here: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/TR010060.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the decision to cancel the A12 Widening Scheme on (a) business investment, (b) job creation, (c) economic growth, (d) apprenticeship creation and (e) the construction supply chain.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As announced on 8 July 2025, this Government inherited a series of commitments that could not be afforded, therefore the Secretary of State for Transport had to take the difficult decision not to progress the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) Widening Scheme. The decision was based on evidence assessed against a wide range of criteria, including economic growth impacts, and in line with the HM Treasury Green Book and the Department’s Transport Analysis Guidance.

Detailed information on the economic impact of the A12 Widening Scheme was set out in the application for planning consent published on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.

Information on the economic appraisal is available here: https://nsip-documents.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/published-documents/TR010060-000378-HE551497-JAC-LDC-SCHW-RP-TR-0109.pdf.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date she plans to bring the Greater Anglia franchise under public ownership; and when she plans to publish her (a) business plan for the management of the Greater Anglia franchise, (b) income and expenditure forecasts for the Greater Anglia franchise for each of the next five years, (c) plans for ticket pricing for each of the next five years, (d) plans for ticket office opening hours for each of the next five years, (e) the performance standards and targets for each of the next five years and (f) funding plans for (i) railway stations, (ii) tracks and signalling and (iii) rolling stock for each of the next five years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Greater Anglia’s services will transfer into public ownership on 12 October 2025. A Services Agreement setting out Secretary of State requirements will be put in place for the new publicly owned operator, and this will be made available on the Department for Transport’s website in due course. The Services Agreement will require train operating companies to publish information on targets, outturn performance, and the ongoing development of the customer offer on a regular basis at stations, on their website and in other formats on request.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which rail infrastructure schemes on the Great East Main Line she will plans to implement; and which she has cancelled since July 2024.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Secretary of State updated Parliament on the 7th of July regarding those rail infrastructure schemes which will progress following completion of the Spending Review. We’re prioritising the schemes that will make the greatest difference for passengers and freight and drive economic growth as soon as possible. The previous government had announced a number of schemes that were unfunded. The new station at Beaulieu Park is due to open on the Great Eastern Main Line by the end of this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her statement of 8 July 2025 on Road and Rail Projects, column 815, what is the forecast annual expenditure for each of the 50 schemes in each of the next ten financial years; and what is the total estimated cost of each scheme.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are committed to providing transparency about our investment plans, to provide certainty and stability for industry and other stakeholders.

For schemes on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) and Major Road Network (MRN), £24 billion of capital funding is being provided between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads. Scheme costs for the SRN schemes will be confirmed as part of the setting of the third Road Investment Strategy, planned to be published by the end of March 2026.

For MRN schemes, individual financial details cannot be provided as doing so would jeopardise procurement exercises and contract negotiations.

All rail projects referenced in the Secretary of State’s statement are fully funded from the £10.2bn allocated to enhancements over 2026/27-2029/30. We expect to provide further detail on scheme profiles in due course.

The National Infrastructure and Services Transformation Authority (NISTA) has also now published a first version of the Infrastructure Pipeline. All of the projects referred to in the Secretary of State’s statement are included in the Pipeline, although at a portfolio level. The Pipeline will be updated and improved every six months.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to have discussions with his Chinese counterpart on dissuading that country to collaborate with Iran on matters that are counter to UK security interests.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary recently met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit to discuss international security issues, including Iran. As P5 members of the United Nations Security Council, we must continue to engage China and all other relevant stakeholders as we try to find a diplomatic path to ensure Iran can never develop a nuclear weapon.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran’s nuclear programme since June 2025; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of strikes from Israel and the US on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office continues to have regular dialogue with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at all levels, including via our Permanent Mission in Vienna and the Foreign Secretary. The Foreign Secretary last spoke to Director General Grossi on 26 June. We have taken every opportunity, including a public E3 statement on 30 June, to reiterate our support for the Director General and the IAEA's mandate in Iran, urging the Iranians to abide by their legal commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The IAEA has as yet not been able to report on the state of Iran's nuclear programme following US and Israeli strikes and I will not comment on intelligence matters in this response.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help prevent Iran resuming its nuclear programme.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Alongside his French and German counterparts, the Foreign Secretary continues to work with Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Araqchi towards a durable nuclear deal which ensures Iran never develops a nuclear weapon. Military action alone cannot solve this issue for the long term. We'll continue to use all diplomatic tools at our disposal to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon, including the snapback mechanism, if necessary.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Israel, (b) the US and (c) other strategic partners in the region on Iran’s nuclear programme since June 2025.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary has had extensive discussions with Foreign Minister Sa'ar and Secretary Rubio on 22 June regarding how to tackle what remains of Iran's nuclear programme after major US and Israeli strikes on its facilities. Our objective is to encourage Iran to return to talks to reach a lasting diplomatic solution. We have also spoken to the Gulf Cooperation Council and other regional partners to this end since 13 June, as well as the Iranians on numerous occasions. We will continue to use all diplomatic tools at our disposal, including UN snapback if necessary, to reach a diplomatic solution.

Found: helped matters in recent years with its actions and the ‘demonisation’ of Sikhs by the likes of Priti Patel