Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Plan for Change: Milestones for mission-led government, published on 5 December 2024, CP 1210, what energy infrastructure projects are under consideration; and whether the Norwich to Tilbury Great Grid Upgrade project is included.

Answered by Michael Shanks - 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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Statement of 4 December 2024, HCWS281 on Railway Passenger Services, whether she plans to (a) improve (i) step-free access and (ii) rail infrastructure for Greater Anglia services and (b) redevelop stations on the Greater Anglia route.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - 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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Statement of 4 December 2024, HCWS281 on Railway Passenger Services, what plans she has to review (a) service quality, (b) ticket pricing, (c) the business model and (d) timetables before the Greater Anglia rail franchise is transferred to public ownership.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - 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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Statement of 4 December 2024, HCWS281 on Railway Passenger Services, what plans she has to consult (a) Members of Parliament, (b) local authorities, (c) passenger representatives and (d) business representatives before the Greater Anglia franchise is transferred into public ownership in autumn 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - 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.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Plan for Change: Milestones for mission-led government, published on 5 December 2024, CP 1210, what transport infrastructure projects are under consideration; and whether the (a) A12 Widening Scheme and (b) A120 dualling scheme are included.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - 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.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will list the meetings (a) he and his Ministers and (b) officials have had with representatives of the Chagossian community since 5 July 2024.

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

I met members of the Chagossian community on 30 September and 3 October. Officials are also in regular contact with Chagossians on a range of issues. There are a large number of Chagossian groups with a spectrum of views. We will continue efforts to engage all groups or representatives with an interest.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech entitled Plan for Change of 5 December 2024, what each of the 150 major infrastructure projects are.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

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: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what cash levels of Official Development Assistance he plans to provide in each of the next five financial years.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Our mission is to build partnerships to help create a world free from poverty on a liveable planet. The UK's development spending is central to achieving this mission.

The FCDO's planned Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme budget, including the Integrated Security Fund, is £8.78 billion in 2024/25. This is planned to increase by £450 million in 2025/26 to £9.24 billion, the highest level in recent years.

The second phase of the Spending Review, concluding in late spring 2025, will set departmental ODA budgets for future years.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2024 to Question 16758 on A12: Essex, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of delays to the implementation of the A12 widening Scheme on (a) the economy, (b) road safety and (c) the projected cost to the public purse of the A12 widening scheme.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - 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.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what third party contracts are scheduled for commissioning from 2025/26; and what estimate he has made of the value of each such contract.

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

The FCDO publishes a bi-annual pipeline of projects and the most recent one was in October 2024, available here: [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-commercial-pipeline-october-2024]

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when Jonathan Powell has had meetings with (a) him and Ministers in his Department; (b) officials; (c) the Prime Minister; (d) Philippe Sands; (e) members of the Mauritian Government; (f) members of the (i) current and (ii) incoming US Administration; (g) representatives of the Chagossians and (h) other third parties on the future sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory since 5 July 2024; and what the subject of each such meeting was.

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

In his role as BIOT envoy, and with the goal of securing an agreement that protects UK and US security interests, Jonathan Powell has engaged a range of stakeholders, including in the US and Mauritian governments, HMG Ministers and FCDO officials.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2024 to Question 12263 on Employers' Contributions: Public Sector, what estimate she has made of the number of public sector employees covered by the provisions of line 26 of Table 5.1 of the Autumn Budget 2024 for compensating public sector organisations for proposed changes to employer National Insurance contributions.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government will provide support for departments and other public sector employers for additional Employer National Insurance Contributions costs only. This funding will be allocated to departments, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way.

This is in line with the approach taken under the previous Government’s Health and Social Care Levy.

The Government plans to update Parliament on allocations by department in the usual way as soon as possible.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) productivity, (b) efficiencies and (c) savings he plans to make to meet the 2% target for departmental productivity, efficiencies and savings; how much of his budget for 2025/26 is in scope of this target; and what the cash level is of savings targeted.

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

The Department's 25/26 2 percent productivity, efficiency and savings target applies to the non-ODA RDEL budget of £1,798 million (excluding funding ringfenced for a voluntary exit scheme and funds drawn down from prior year capital receipts). The core FCDO budget 2 percent target is £24 million, apportioned pro rata. The breakdown of how the FCDO will meet its target is not yet known as the budget setting process for 2025/26 is still in progress. However, the Department expects to achieve it through a combination of workforce savings, sustainability improvements to the global estate and the completion of IT programmes.

Found: Dame Priti Patel, former Home Secretary, during a debate in the House of Commons dated 29 March 2023

Found: Cllr Winter sent 21 emails to various people of importance, such as Priti Patel.

Found: Letter from Dan Jarvis MP to Priti Patel MP regarding support for victims and survivors of terrorism,

Found: Letter dated 13/12/2024 from Anneliese Dodds MP to Priti Patel MP regarding a question raised during