Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
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.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
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.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of the number of FTE GPs at surgeries in Castle Point constituency over each of the next five years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
As independent businesses that hold contracts with the National Health Service, practices determine the staffing skill mix to best suit the patients they serve. GP services are commissioned and assured by integrated care boards to meet the needs of changing populations and demographics.
Total full-time equivalent GPs in Castle Point constituency have increased in the past five years, from 31.37 in May 2022 to 41.58 in May 2026.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the amount of business rates to be paid by businesses in the retail, leisure, and hospitality sector in Castle Point constituency in 2026/27.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office (VO), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government.
At the Budget, the VO announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since the pandemic, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties.
In recognition of the impact of the revaluation on bills, the Government has introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion, to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in bills.
The Government has also introduced new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new multipliers are worth nearly £1 billion per year and benefit over 750,000 properties.
Recognising the value they bring and the challenges they face, in addition to the support announced at Budget, the Government has introduced a 1-year 15 per cent relief for all pubs and live music venues in 2026/27. For the following two years, their bills will then be frozen in real terms.
The Government recognises that hotels have expressed concerns about how they are valued for business rates. Hotels valuations are undertaken in a different way to some other sectors. The methodology used is well established, but, as with pubs, the Government has announced it will review the way hotels are valued to ensure it accurately reflects the rental value for these sectors.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding she will make available for flood defences in each of the next five years for (a) Castle Point constituency and (b) Essex.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment agency is currently in the early stages of the funding allocation process, with funding allocations to be confirmed in 2027 for the following financial years.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made a estimate of levels of congestion on the A13/A130 junction at Sadler’s Farm (a) now and (b) in each of the next 20 years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Whilst traffic management on the local road network is the responsibility of the local highway authority, the Department recognises that congestion affects daily journeys and economic growth. That is why Essex County Council is eligible for over £230 million in highways maintenance funding over the next four years.
More widely, the Department for Transport continues to legislate for new lane rental schemes to reduce congestion from roadworks and are devolving powers to mayors to establish future schemes, allowing local leaders to address congestion on their network.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the breakdown of the National Highways operational fleet is by vehicle (a) make and (b) model; and what proportion are manufactured by British manufacturers.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The information requested is provided in the table below.
Vehicle make | Vehicle model | Number |
BYD | Atto 3 | 13 |
Toyota | BZ4X | 89 |
Toyota | Corolla Commercial | 103 |
Peugeot | e-5008 GT 73kWh 210 | 5 |
Maxus | Edeliver 9 van | 5 |
KIA | E-Niro | 11 |
Renault | e-Scenic | 3 |
KIA | EV3 | 3 |
KIA | EV6 | 39 |
KIA | EV9 | 4 |
Volvo | EX90 Plus | 1 |
Ford | Explorer | 54 |
BMW | 225XE | 3 |
Vauxhall | Grandland | 2 |
BMW | I01 i3 120Ah AC EV | 1 |
Hyundai | Ioniq 9 | 4 |
Hyundai | Kona EV | 31 |
Ford | Kuga ST-Line PHEV | 21 |
Tesla | Model Y | 31 |
KIA | Niro PHEV | 8 |
Peugeot | e-Partner Van | 1 |
Toyota | Proace | 20 |
BYD | Sealion | 6 |
KIA | Sportage PHEV | 4 |
Farizon | SV | 1 |
Maxus | T90 | 5 |
BMW | X5 Xdrive | 65 |
Volvo | XC40 Inscription | 1 |
Volvo | XC90 T8 Momentum Auto | 267 |
KIA | Xceed PHEV | 22 |
Volvo | C+26 | 17 |
Volvo | L26 | 3 |
Other | Moveable Barrier Machine | 2 |
Mercedes-Benz | Unimog | 12 |
Volvo | P18 | 1 |
Volvo | P26 | 444 |
Volvo | P32 | 4 |
Rolba | Snowblower | 4 |
Total | 1310 | |
Approximately 7.9% of National Highways operational fleet were manufactured in Britain. The Toyota Corolla Commercial is assembled in Burnaston, Derbyshire, and the hybrid engine is built at the Deeside plant in North Wales. The Peugeot e-Partner Van is built at Stellantis Ellesmere port in Cheshire.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the breakdown of the Government Car Service operational fleet is by vehicle (a) make and (b) model; and what proportion are manufactured by British manufacturers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Government Car Service does not disclose the make and model of vehicles within its operational fleet, as releasing this information could compromise the security arrangements of Ministers.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, the breakdown of (a) make and (b) type of cars used by (i) ambassadors and (ii) embassy officials at British embassies; and what proportion are manufactured by British manufacturers.
Answered by Seema Malhotra
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 8 December 2025 in response to Question 96748.
Asked by: Rebecca Harris (Conservative - Castle Point)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the recommendations of the Hughes Report, Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Government is carefully considering the valuable work done by the Hughes Report, and will respond as soon as possible.