Written questions by Patel.

Whether she made an assessment of the potential impact of cancelling 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 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.

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.

With reference to the Written Statement of 17 June 2025 on Dart Charge, HCWS708, what were the total revenues from Dart Charge in (a) 2022/23, (b) 2023/24, and (c) 2024/25; and if she will estimate the total revenues from Dart Charge in each of the next seven financial years, commencing with 2025/26.

The number of vehicles using the Dartford Crossing in the years 2022/23-2024/25 is set out below: YearTotalOf which during chargeable hours:2024/2556,691,38549,613,9552023/2457,498,96050,266,5192022/2356,528,52649,098,480 The impact of the charge increase on the number of vehicles using the Dartford crossing will be monitored for the remainder of 2025/26, and subsequent years.My Department does not routinely publish revenue forecasts for individual budget lines such as the income from the Dart Charge.Information about previous revenues for the Dartford Crossing are available in the annual accounts which are published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-highways-annual-reports-and-accounts . For 2022/23 road user charge income was £126.6m and for 2023/24 £130.1m.The Crossing’s full revenue is higher for each year owing to additional income from enforcement, abnormal load fees, and other rental income. This is also shown in the accounts. Accounts for 2024/25 will be published by the end of January 2026.

With reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 June 2025 on Dart Charge, HCWS708, what estimate she has made of the number of vehicles using the Dartford to Thurrock Crossing in (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24, (c) 2024-25, (d) 2025-26, (e) 2026-27 and (f) each of the next five years.

The number of vehicles using the Dartford Crossing in the years 2022/23-2024/25 is set out below: YearTotalOf which during chargeable hours:2024/2556,691,38549,613,9552023/2457,498,96050,266,5192022/2356,528,52649,098,480 The impact of the charge increase on the number of vehicles using the Dartford crossing will be monitored for the remainder of 2025/26, and subsequent years.My Department does not routinely publish revenue forecasts for individual budget lines such as the income from the Dart Charge.Information about previous revenues for the Dartford Crossing are available in the annual accounts which are published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-highways-annual-reports-and-accounts . For 2022/23 road user charge income was £126.6m and for 2023/24 £130.1m.The Crossing’s full revenue is higher for each year owing to additional income from enforcement, abnormal load fees, and other rental income. This is also shown in the accounts. Accounts for 2024/25 will be published by the end of January 2026.

With reference to the Written Statement of 17 June 2025 on Dart Charge, HCWS708, what estimate she has made of the additional revenues from the increase in charges in each of the next seven financial years, commencing with 2025/26.

The number of vehicles using the Dartford Crossing in the years 2022/23-2024/25 is set out below: YearTotalOf which during chargeable hours:2024/2556,691,38549,613,9552023/2457,498,96050,266,5192022/2356,528,52649,098,480 The impact of the charge increase on the number of vehicles using the Dartford crossing will be monitored for the remainder of 2025/26, and subsequent years.My Department does not routinely publish revenue forecasts for individual budget lines such as the income from the Dart Charge.Information about previous revenues for the Dartford Crossing are available in the annual accounts which are published online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-highways-annual-reports-and-accounts . For 2022/23 road user charge income was £126.6m and for 2023/24 £130.1m.The Crossing’s full revenue is higher for each year owing to additional income from enforcement, abnormal load fees, and other rental income. This is also shown in the accounts. Accounts for 2024/25 will be published by the end of January 2026.

What her Department's planned timetable is for announcing (a) overall funding, (b) rail fares, (c) funding for rail infrastructure and (d) funding for rolling stock on the Greater Anglia rail network, in the context of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025.

In the context of the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025 there are no plans for any specific announcements in relation to the Greater Anglia rail network. For the past five years changes to regulated rail fares have happened in March. Any future changes will be announced in due course. Since 2019 the operator has introduced 191 brand new trains into traffic; this full fleet replacement has improved performance and transformed the passenger experience.

What her planned timetable is for announcing (a) future funding and (b) plans for (i) ticket offices on the Greater Anglia franchise, (ii) implementation of step-free access through redevelopments at (A) Greater Anglia and (B) Marks Tey railway stations and (iii) the redevelopment of Witham railway station, in the context of the Spending Review 2025.

In the context of the Spending Review 2025 there are no plans to make specific announcements in relation to the Greater Anglia rail operator in relation to (a) future funding and (b) plans for (i) ticket offices on the Greater Anglia franchise, (ii) implementation of step-free access through redevelopments at (A) Greater Anglia and (B) Marks Tey railway stations and (iii) the redevelopment of Witham railway station. While some key schemes have already been referenced by the Chancellor, we will now be working to confirm our wider portfolio of rail enhancements, which will be published as part of the government’s commitment to set out its overall infrastructure pipeline. As part of the ongoing Spending Review, a period of business planning is continuing to take place and announcements on individual schemes and projects will be made in due course.

With reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, and pursuant to the Answers of 12 December 2024 and 26 March 2025 to Questions 18360 and 38989 on Transport: Infrastructure and A12: Repairs and Maintenance, if she will make funding available for the (a) A12 widening scheme and (b) A120 dualling scheme.

As the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 11 June 2025, this Government will deliver notable improvements to people’s everyday travel by providing £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve roads across the country. We will provide updates on specific schemes in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 38988 on Transport: Infrastructure, whether the Capital Review has been completed.

The Capital Review has now closed. It was established to provide rapid, independent advice on the Department’s capital portfolio. The Panel offered an external perspective to support the Secretary of State’s considerations during the second phase of the Spending Review. The Secretary of State closed the Panel ahead of the conclusion of the Spending Review. The Department is grateful for the voluntary contributions of its members and the expertise they brought to the review.

Whether she has made an assessment of trends in the level of threats to (a) freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and (b) British (i) vessels and (ii) personnel in 2025.

The majority of international shipping ceased operating through the Red Sea after Houthi attacks began in November 2023 and has not returned. My Department continues to provide advice to UK-flagged shipping in the region, and this is kept under regular review.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2025 to Question 34245 on Transport: Infrastructure, if she will publish Capital Review Panel's (a) terms of reference, (b) the dates it has met and (c) its budget; whether members of the Panel receive (i) remuneration, (ii) expenses and (iii) other financial recompense; and if the Panel has considered the (A) A12 widening scheme; and (B) the A120 dualling scheme proposals.

The Capital Review is an internal review, therefore the Panel’s terms of reference and proceedings are internal to the Department. Panel members are providing their time voluntarily and have not received any expenses or other financial recompense. The Panel has no allocated budget and the only costs incurred are through a small official secretariat. The Capital Review’s primary aim is to provide the Secretary of State with strategic advice, not to provide advice on individual schemes.

If she will assess the (a) economic and (b) road safety impact of delaying the (i) implementation and (ii) construction of the A12 widening scheme.

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 extremely challenging financial inheritance this Government received on the A12 widening scheme and in turn its impact on (a) the economy and (b) road safety.

Pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 30 July 2024, HCWS49 on Transport Infrastructure, when she expects the internal review of her Department’s capital spend portfolio to complete its work; and if she will give details of the external expertise brought in.

The capital review is an internal review, and its primary aim is to provide the Secretary of State with strategic advice across the whole of the transport portfolio to help inform her decisions on projects as part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which it is currently doing. The full list of panellists is available on the Department’s website: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/department-for-transport-capital-review-panel.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 18360 on Transport: Infrastructure, if she will list the transport projects (a) approved and (b) yet to be approved included in the 150 major infrastructure projects.

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. Since the start of the current Parliament in July the department has issued decisions on two transport projects: Immingham Roll on Roll off facility and Immingham Green Energy Terminal.

Pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 30 July 2024, HCWS49 on Transport Infrastructure, if she will list each of the transport schemes subject to the review of her Department’s capital spend portfolio.

The capital review is an internal review, and its primary aim is to provide the Secretary of State with strategic advice across the whole of the transport portfolio to help inform her decisions on projects as part of Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which it is currently doing. The full list of panellists is available on the Department’s website: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/department-for-transport-capital-review-panel.

What discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on future investment in strategic highway infrastructure.

The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) for the Strategic Road Network will cover the five-year period from April 2026 to March 2031. We plan to publish RIS3 by the end of 2025. The draft RIS, including the funding envelope, will be published in late spring 2025. An Interim Settlement for National Highways will be in place from April 2025, covering the 2025-26, as announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 2024 Autumn Budget.

What plans she has for the (a) future and (b) timetable for nationalisation of the Greater Anglia rail franchise; for (i) future investment and (ii) plans for (A) ticket offices and (B) steps free access in Greater Anglia railway station redevelopment; and for (1) overall investment, (2) rail fares, (3) investment in rail infrastructure, and (4) investment in rolling stock in the Greater Anglia region; and what recent estimate she has made of passenger numbers in each Greater Anglia station in each year for the next ten years.

The Department announced in December that South-Western Railway’s services will be the first to transfer into public ownership in May 2025, followed by c2c’s services in July 2025 and Greater Anglia’s in the autumn. The Department will issue an expiry notice to Greater Anglia in due course to confirm the exact transfer date. Public ownership will mean all parts of the railway can pull together for the benefit of passengers, and bringing passenger services into public ownership is the first step in the Government’s wider programme of reform. Through future legislation, we will set out the role Great British Railways will have in fares, ticketing, and other operational aspects of the railway. Fares and ticketing will continue to be the responsibility of train operators until Great British Railways is established. 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, including as it relates to Greater Anglia stations. Greater Anglia has taken steps to improve station accessibility with its work on virtual trains and station tours, and a new accessible footbridge will be installed at Stowmarket during 2025. The business planning round for 2025/26 is currently underway and proposals regarding redevelopments and rail infrastructure will be reviewed with decisions made in due course. Greater Anglia invested £1.4 billion in new trains for the Anglia region and these new trains are delivering a real change in customer experience. There has not been a recent estimate of passenger numbers in each of Greater Anglia’s stations in each year for the next ten years.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.