Every parliamentary written question tabled by Priti Patel this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 581–592 of 592 · this parliament
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of new (a) regulations or (b) legislation for oil heated (i) domestic and (ii) commercial premises.
The Government will make use of all available data to inform any future decisions on decarbonising heat in domestic and commercial properties off the gas grid.
What estimate she has made of the timescale for the completion of works at each school announced in the School Rebuilding Programme in February 2024.
Schools selected for the school rebuilding programme (SRP) will enter delivery at a rate of around 50 per year. All schools, including those announced in February 2024, have been given individual indicative start dates, so responsible bodies can prepare and make informed decisions around their estate. Once they have entered delivery, SRP projects have taken on average 3-5 years to complete. We assess the individual timelines at each school once delivery begins.
Whether she received notice from the Academies Enterprise Trust of its proposed change of name to Lift Schools; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of this name change on public confidence in the trust.
Academies Enterprise Trust informed the department of its intention to change name as part of the department’s regular engagement with them and subsequently confirmed this in writing.Academy trusts may change their name but must notify Companies House and the department once they have decided to do so.It is for a trust to determine its name and consider how this affects its public image.
What estimate she has made of the number of offenders released as a result of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Requisite and Minimum Custodial Periods) Order 2024 that have previous convictions for (a) sexual offences and (b) offences involving violence against women and girls.
Certain offences have been excluded from the change to automatic release points for eligible standard determinate sentences under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Requisite and Minimum Custodial Periods) Order 2024. This includes sex offences irrespective of sentence length; serious violent offences with a sentence of four years or more; specified offences linked to domestic abuse irrespective of sentence length (including stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour and non-fatal strangulation); as well as offences concerning national security. Every excluded offence retains the previous release point: this is not changing. No sex offender will serve a single day less for those offences under this scheme. The law applies to sentences not prisoners. There are some people who have served the entirety of their prison sentence for a previous sexual offence, and are now serving a subsequent sentence for a different crime. They may see the sentence for that other crime reduced to 40%. As set out in the Statutory Instrument to Amend the Standard Determinate Sentence Automatic Release Point Impact Assessment published on 17 July 2024 (available at the link below), prison population and release figures are monitored and published as part of the Offender Management Statistics.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2024/117/pdfs/ukia_20240117_en.pdf.Data on SDS40 releases forms a subset of data intended for future publication.
What assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of changing the eligibility criteria for the winter fuel payment on (a) the number of additional patients that will require NHS treatment as a consequence of that decision and (b) other NHS services in Essex.
The Government is committed to a preventative approach to public health. Keeping people warm and well at home and improving the quality of new and existing homes will play an essential part in enabling people to live longer, healthier lives and reducing pressures on the NHS. Given the substantial pressures faced by the public finances this year and next, the Government has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control. This means that the Winter Fuel Payment will be better targeted to low-income pensioners who need it. The Household Support Fund is also being extended for a further six months, from 1st October 2024 until 31st March 2025. An additional £421 million will be provided to enable the extension of the HSF in England, plus funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula to be spent at their discretion, as usual.The Warm Home Discount scheme in England and Wales provides eligible low-income households across Great Britain with a £150 rebate on their electricity bill. This winter, we expect over three million households, including over one million pensioners, to benefit under the scheme.
Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential barriers to employment for people from Hong Kong who are resident in the UK under the British National (Overseas) visa (a) in general and (b) when that employment requires a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction to be secured from the Hong Kong authorities for the purposes of a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
The Government is aware that some Hong Kong British National (Overseas) status holders [BN(O)s] can face barriers to employment in the UK. To support BN(O)s as they integrate into their communities, the department developed a Welcome Programme, which launched in April 2021. Through this programme, BN(O)s are able to access guidance and support on a range of issues including employment, education, housing and English language provision.The Government has recently announced a “Jobs for Hongkongers” initiative, part of the Hong Kong BN(O) Welcome Programme. This will be delivered by The Growth Company and will support BN(O)s in England to find employment through an 8-week course. Support will be delivered in Cantonese, in person and remotely, allowing access to all who need support. Where a BN(O) requires a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction check, there is guidance on the process and sectoral examples for obtaining alternative checks on GOV.UK.
How many offenders have been released as a result of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Requisite and Minimum Custodial Periods) Order 2024 on each day since that Order came into effect; and how many and what proportion of those offenders have (a) re-offended and (b) been returned to custody.
As set out in the Statutory Instrument to Amend the Standard Determinate Sentence Automatic Release Point Impact Assessment published on 17 July 2024, prison population and release figures are monitored and published as part of the Offender Management Statistics: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2024/117/pdfs/ukia_20240117_en.pdf.Data on SDS40 releases forms a subset of data intended for future publication.
If she will make an estimate of the number of people in (a) Witham constituency and (b) Essex who (i) are eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment and (ii) will be eligible for the payment under the proposed changed eligibility requirements; and what the estimated value of those payments is.
In winter 2023 to 2024, a) 21,661 pensioners in Witham constituency (2024 boundaries) and b) 353,463 pensioners in Essex received a Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on the Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). It is estimated that around a) 1,681 pensioners in Witham Constituency and b) 34,541 pensioners in Essex will receive Winter Fuel Payment following the changes in eligibility criteria for Winter Fuel Payment. This is based on February 2024 Pension Credit statistics which are available via DWP Stat-Xplore. It is possible to use the Pension Credit statistics to give a minimum estimate of the number who may be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments. Please note that we do not hold information on the estimated value of these payments.The estimates for Essex have been calculated by combining the data for the following 14 Local Authorities in Essex: Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock, Braintree, Brentwood, Basildon, Castle Point, Chelmsford, Colchester, Epping Forest, Harlow, Maldon, Rochford, Tendring and Uttlesford. The above estimation would not take into account any potential increase in Pension Credit take-up that we might see as a result of the Government’s Pension Credit Awareness Campaign. We do not have data on those additional Pension Credit claims by Parliamentary constituencies or Local Authorities. The published Pension Credit figures refer to households, so the number of individuals in respect of whom Pension Credit is paid will be higher (i.e., taking account of households where a claimant has a partner and / or dependents.) In addition, while Pension Credit claimants constitute the majority of those that will be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment, pensioners who claim other qualifying means-tested benefits will also be eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment. It is not, however, possible to include those on other qualifying means-tested benefits in these figures.
If she will publish a daily update on the (a) number of offenders released early as a consequence of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Requisite and Minimum Custodial Periods) Order 2024 and (b) number of those offenders who have subsequently (i) re-offended and (ii) been returned to custody.
As set out in the Statutory Instrument to Amend the Standard Determinate Sentence Automatic Release Point Impact Assessment published on 17 July 2024 (available at the link below), prison population and release figures are monitored and published as part of the Offender Management Statistics. Data on SDS40 releases forms a subset of data intended for future publication. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2024/117/pdfs/ukia_20240117_en.pdf.
What plans she has for the future of the East Anglia railway franchise.
The Government has been clear that all passenger railway services delivered by private sector companies under National Rail Contracts will be brought into public ownership by the end of this Parliament as current contracts end, train operating companies reach their contractual break point, or if contractual conditions for termination are met.
Whether she plans to provide funding for the renovation of Witham railway station.
Funding decisions on station renovations such as Witham will be taken in due course, as part of departmental planning for 2025/26 and beyond. At this time, there are no timescales for when delivery of a Witham upgrade scheme might be possible.
Whether she plans to announce new investment for highways in Essex.
On 30 July 2024, the Secretary of State announced that she was commissioning a review of the Department’s capital spend portfolio. This review will support the development of our long-term strategy for transport, developing a modern and integrated network with people at its heart, ensuring that transport infrastructure can be delivered efficiently and on time. Major investment decisions are a matter for the forthcoming Spending Review.