Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the additional costs incurred by each school in Castle Point constituency as a result of the increase in employers' National Insurance Contributions in 2026/27.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department estimates the impact of changes to schools’ costs, including employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs), at a national level and does not estimate the costs incurred by individual schools, including schools in Castle Point constituency.

There is no increase in employers’ NICs in 2026/27, compared to 2025/26. The government agreed that public sector employers would receive support in recognition of the increase in their NICs from April 2025 and provided support to schools through the NICs Grant in 2025/26.

Funding allocated in 2025/26 through the NICs Grant was rolled into the schools National Funding Formula (NFF) in 2026/27, to help simplify the funding system and keep funding fair. The department’s NFF policy document is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69417d442d5e7e863253755a/The_national_funding_formula_for_schools_and_high_needs_-_2026_to_2027.pdf.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an estimate of the number of pupils in Castle Point constituency that will have an EHCP in each of the next five years.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Data on the number of school pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans per year is collected through the school census and broken down by Parliamentary constituency. The published statistics are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/085e68f9-b90c-4324-ca11-08dee0eeb30d.

The department has not made an estimate of the number of pupils with an EHC plan by Parliamentary constituency over the next five years.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the payments her Department will receive from c2c rail services in each of the next five years.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport (DfT) has not made a published estimate of the subsidy/premium for each operator in each of the next five years. Exact costs and income levels are agreed during the rolling business planning process. Information on subsidy/premium for each operator will be published next year in DfT's annual report and accounts.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of changes in passenger numbers on c2c rail services in each of the next ten years.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport has not made or published a ten-year estimate of passenger numbers specifically for c2c rail services. Future passenger demand forecasts are developed as part of business planning, investment appraisals, and rail industry forecasting processes, but projections are subject to significant uncertainty and are not routinely published on an operator-by-operator basis for the next ten years.

However, over the next ten years we would expect c2c to continue to grow passenger numbers. Long-term planning strategic advice, such as the Essex Thameside Strategic Advice, is published on Network Rail's website.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what performance targets she has set for c2c rail services since nationalisation.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Since being transferred into public ownership, c2c has continued to be monitored against the rail industry’s established performance measures, including punctuality & reliability, cancellations and passenger satisfaction, and remains subject to the same performance oversight arrangements as other publicly owned operators. All train operators are required to publish performance against targets on their website.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether provision for capital investment in (a) new and (b) updated healthcare facilities in Castle Point constituency is being made available over the next five years.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Significant capital investment is being made available to support both new and improved healthcare facilities across the NHS East of England region over the next five years.

The region has been allocated £536 million between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to increase secondary and urgent and emergency care capacity. This funding will support a range of local transformation priorities, including diagnostic facilities, urgent treatment centres, emergency departments, and the completion of elective and surgical hub schemes.

In addition, the region has been allocated £277.2 million through the Estates Safety Fund between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to address critical infrastructure and safety risks, alongside a further £346.5 million planning assumption for estates through to 2034/35.

The Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust has also been allocated £181.6 million in operational capital funding for the 2026/27 to 2029/30 period, which can be used to support the maintenance, improvement, and modernisation of healthcare facilities where this is a local priority.

Found: Official members: Anneliese Midgley  - Government Chief Whip Dame Rebecca Harris MP - Opposition Chief

Found: Official members: Anneliese Midgley  - Government Chief Whip Dame Rebecca Harris MP - Opposition Chief

Found: Baroness Williams of Trafford Chief Whip, Lords (from 07/09/2022 to 05/07/2024) – – – 20,371 Rebecca Harris