Written questions by Patel.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 67866 on A12: Repairs and Maintenance, when she plans to announce her Department's spending plans for the 2026-27 financial year.

The Department’s spending plans will be published in the Main Estimates. For the Strategic Road Network, the Department intends to announce its spending plans for the 2026-27 financial year in the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3), which is expected to be published by the end of Spring 2026. National Highways is also expected to publish its Delivery Plan for the RIS3 period in 2026.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pursuant to her Department’s Annual Account 2024/25, with reference to page 19, (a) what funding she will be providing to each Mayoral Combined Authority in each financial year through to 2029/30, (b) what funding she is making available to the proposed Greater Essex Mayoral Combined County Authority in each financial year through to 2029/30, and (c) what her forecast is of the annual reduction in support for the services covered by Train Operating Companies in each year of the Spending Review period; with reference to page 19, what her estimate is of the increased levels of ridership required to cover the planned reductions in her Department’s support for Train Operating Companies in each year of the Spending Review period; and with reference to page 348, if she will publish the lines of expenditure incurred in the estimated £250 million to be written off in respect of the cancellation of the A12 Widening Scheme and the A47 dualling scheme.

On (a) and (b), at Spending Review 2025 ("SR25"), the government announced £15.6bn of funding for Transport for City Region settlements for 9 eligible Mayoral Combined Authorities ("MCAs") from 2027-28 to 2031-32. This funding builds on the funding allocated to eligible MCAs for years 2022-23 to 2026-27 via the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS). Mayoral allocations for TCR were published on gov.uk. Allocations for the final year of CRSTS (2026/27) are being confirmed with Ministers in the upcoming months.For MCAs and other local areas outside of CRSTS/TCR, the department secured £2.3bn of funding for the Local Transport Grant (LTG) at SR25 and multi-year allocations and formula methodology were published on gov.uk. These allocations were calculated using a formula based on population and deprivation. Allocations were published based on the current Local Authority structure. Essex’s Local Transport Authority’s allocation for LTG is summarised in table 1 below. When it is established as a new MCAs, their transport funding will compromise the total of their constituent authorities. Table 1 includes the LTG allocations for other MCAs, a full breakdown of all areas can be found on Gov.uk.Essex, and other areas, will also be eligible for other local transport grants and funding secured at SR25 such as funding for Buses, Highways Maintenance, Active Travel and Electric vehicle infrastructure. DfT Ministers are considering advice on these funds, and how they will be allocated across Local areas. Allocations will be released once Ministerial decisions have been made. Table 1 – LTG allocations for Essex LTA and MCAs in receipt of LTG (full local allocations can be found on gov.uk). Local AreaLTG Allocation2026/272027/282028/292029/30TotalEssexCapital6.7710.32514.14917.97349.217Resource1.081.081.08n/a3.24 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined AuthorityCapital4.9738.0311.00413.97937.986Resource0.8190.8190.819n/a2.457 Devon and Torbay Combined County AuthorityCapital5.0438.72511.95715.18940.914Resource0.8530.8530.853n/a2.559 Greater Lincolnshire Combined County AuthorityCapital31.87936.85441.07545.295155.103Resource1.0632.2592.2635.585 Hull & East Yorkshire Combined AuthorityCapital19.89522.87925.53828.19796.509Resource0.6341.4031.4073.444 Lancashire Combined County AuthorityCapital44.99850.84456.67662.507215.025Resource1.3493.1173.1237.589 York and North Yorkshire Combined AuthorityCapital20.40722.07224.52926.98593.993Resource0.7671.3531.3523.472

If she will publish the details of the construction phase funding for the A12 Chelmsford to A120 Widening scheme considered by her Department’s Investment Portfolio and Delivery Committee in 2023/24 and 2024/25.

The Department has no plans to publish papers considered by its Investment, Portfolio and Delivery Committee, as has been the usual practice of successive administrations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Which rail infrastructure schemes on the Great East Main Line she will plans to implement; and which she has cancelled since July 2024.

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.

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.

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.

Whether she considered including Marks Tey railway station in the rail access for all feasibility studies.

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.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the cancellation of the A12 widening scheme on housing growth.

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.

What progress her Department has made on plans for the A120 dualling scheme, in the context of the cancellation of the A12 widening scheme.

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.

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.

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.

What the total cost to the public purse is for the A12 widening scheme.

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.

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.

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.