Written questions by Patel.

How much capital funding he is making available to fund neighbourhood health centres in (a) the Witham constituency and (b) Essex, in each of the next ten years.

At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme, helping to make real the commitment to creating a new neighbourhood health service over the next ten years. The NHCs will be delivered through a mixture of refurbishments, to expand and improve sites over the next three years, and new-build sites opening in the medium term. The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030, delivered through public private partnerships and public capital.In September 2025, we launched the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) in 43 places across England, including North East Essex. The NNHIP is a large-scale change programme for all partners involved in delivering neighbourhood health with a strong focus on co-production and working with the people and communities they serve. The shift to a neighbourhood health service will revitalise access to general practice and enable hospitals to focus on providing world-class specialist care to those that need it.Integrated care systems’ estates infrastructure strategies have been developed to create a long-term plan for future estate requirements and investment for each local area and its needs.The NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board has submitted plans for local investment in health facilities other than Neighbourhood Health Services, based on indicative allocations, and will be informed of its multi-year capital budget upon conclusion of the planning process.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the full cost of capitalising the Chagossian Trust Fund in the UK-Mauritius Treaty will be met from (a) her Department's budget; and (b) be categorised as ODA expenditure.

The costs of the Treaty will be split between the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and are non-ODA funded.

On what evidential basis she has indicated that she is minded to cancel the Department's support for the development of the proposed Lodge Farm Primary School, Witham; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cancellation on (a) early years provision, (b) primary school places and (c) special educational provision places.

Mainstream projects were evaluated against consistent criteria on the need for places, value for money, and whether they would provide a distinctive or innovative education offer or risk negatively impacting other local schools. We will invest at least £3 billion over the next four years to create around 50,000 places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across England. To support this investment, we are not proceeding with some mainstream free school projects. For Lodge Farm Primary and Nursery, the review found that current evidence does not show sufficient medium‑term need for a new school in the proposed Witham and Hatfield Peverel location. The trust and local authority can submit any further evidence for ministers to consider by 30 January 2026. The local authority has been offered just over £600,000 additional funding to provide the 12 special educational needs unit places that were planned for this school.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the number of trucks of aid entering Gaza since the establishment of the Civil Military Coordination Center from (a) the UN and (b) other sources.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Ministry of Defence are in regular contact with UK staff in the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre to ensure that UK expertise can support the US-led planning efforts for Gaza post-conflict stability. The specific data the Rt Hon Member has requested on aid trucks is not centrally held by the FCDO.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has held direct discussions with (a) General Frank, (b) British representatives and (c) representatives from other countries at the Civil Military Coordination Center.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Ministry of Defence are in regular contact with UK staff in the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre to ensure that UK expertise can support the US-led planning efforts for Gaza post-conflict stability. The specific data the Rt Hon Member has requested on aid trucks is not centrally held by the FCDO.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has held direct discussions with representatives from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.

The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with her Israeli counterpart, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. She has not held direct discussions with Major General Alian or any of his staff.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 15 December 2025 on Chagossians and the Diego Garcia Base Treaty, HCWS1166, which British Chagossian associations will be eligible to submit recommendations for consideration to the Trust Fund Board members.

Following extensive representations and engagement by this Government, the Mauritian Government has confirmed that a UK-based Chagossian will sit on the Board of the Trust Fund alongside representatives living in Mauritius and the Seychelles. The UK High Commissioner to Mauritius will also attend Board meetings.We welcome these commitments by Mauritius which will ensure the Trust Fund reflects the full spectrum of perspectives within the Chagossian community. Further details, including the process for submitting recommendations for consideration to the Trust Fund Board members, will be confirmed in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether British Chagossians will be required to hold Mauritian citizenship to be eligible for resettlement.

The UK Government has been in talks with Mauritius to ensure that resettlement is open to all Chagossians. The Mauritian Government confirmed on 12 December that all Chagossians born on the Archipelago before 31 December 1973 and their children will be eligible for Mauritian citizenship and therefore able to participate in any future programme of resettlement. Chagossians will be able to hold both British and Mauritian citizenship. As of April 2025, 94 per cent of Chagossians with British nationality also had Mauritian Citizenship. All Chagossians will remain eligible for British citizenship under the current Citizenship Pathway.

What capital funding he has made available for (a) neighbourhood health services as part of the Ten Year Plan and (b) health and primary care facilities in (i) Witham constituency and (ii) Essex in each of the next five years.

At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. This will deliver NHCs through a mixture of refurbishments to expand and improve sites over the next three years and new-build sites opening in the medium term. The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030, delivered through public private partnerships and public capital.In September 2025, we launched the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) in 43 Places across England, including North East Essex. The NNHIP is a large-scale change programme for all partners involved in delivering neighbourhood health with a strong focus on co-production and working with the people and communities they serve.Integrated care systems’ estates infrastructure strategies have been developed to create a long-term plan for future estate requirements and investment for each local area and its needs.The Essex Integrated Care Board has submitted plans for local investment in health facilities other than Neighbourhood Health Services, based on indicative allocations, and will be informed of its multi-year capital budget on conclusion of the planning process.

If she will make an estimate of the number of hereditaments in Essex, broken down by local authority area; and how many have had their rateable values (a) increase and (b) decrease as a result of the latest revaluation.

Statistics on changes in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 Revaluation and publication of the draft 2026 Rating List are published here: Change in rateable value of rating lists, 2026 Revaluation

What estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) total value of fare evasion incidents on Greater Anglia services in the latest period for which data is available.

The most recent Ticketless Travel Survey data we hold for Greater Anglia covers rail industry period 5, starting on Sunday 26 July 2025, to rail industry period 7 ending Saturday 17 October 2025. The overall revenue-at-risk was £4.685 million, and the portion of revenue-at-risk is 3.527 per cent.

Whether she has asked National Highways to update its business case for the A120 dualling scheme.

During the second Road Period (2020-2025) National Highways has been considering improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey as a possible future major enhancement to the network as part of the Road Investment Strategy pipeline. The last formal iteration of the business case for these proposals was developed in 2022/23. Affordability and deliverability assessments have been further tested since then to inform decision making and investment planning for RIS3 and beyond. The third Road Investment Strategy is due to be published in March 2026 and will include an updated pipeline of future enhancement schemes.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the total estimated yield in non-national domestic rates from commercial properties in each district in Essex in 2025-26 and 2026-27, broken down by local authority area.

We do not collect data on national non-domestic rates by specific types of property. However, we do collect data on net rates payable by local authorities in England. Forecast data for 2025-26 can be found here National non-domestic rates collected by councils - GOV.UK. Data relating to 2026-27 will be published in February 2026.

If she will make an assessment of the changes in costs for the A12 widening scheme following the decision taken by the Secretary of State to pause that scheme in July 2024.

The A12 scheme was deferred by the previous Government, adding to the overall cost of the scheme as set out in the table below. DateEstimated outturn costSourceDecember 2014Expected cost category £100m–£250mPublished list of RIS1 schemes and cost bands https://www.ciht.org.uk/media/4382/roads-investment-strategy-summary-of-schemes.pdfMarch 2016Funding envelope of £750 millionPublished Options Appraisal Report: A12 Chelmsford to A120 Options Assessment Report OAR.pdfSeptember 2022£1,045-1,268 millionPublished Funding Statement for Development Consent Order: Microsoft Word - TR010020_APP_1.1 - Introduction to the Application In July 2025, following the conclusion of the Spending Review, the Government took the difficult decision not to proceed with the A12 scheme, to provide certainty for the public.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish all correspondence from (a) her, (b) her ministers and (c) her officials to the Planning Inspectorate regarding the Chinese Embassy planning application.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 29 October in response to Question 84208.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the Chinese government funding training places for Mauritian officials on the (a) security of the British Indian Ocean Territory, (b) the future of Diego Garcia and (c) the future of UK interests in the Indo-Pacific.

The Agreement between the UK and Mauritius secures the important UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. It contains robust provisions to ensure the security of the base and its continued effective operation, including a 24 nautical mile buffer zone around Diego Garcia and a ban on foreign security forces anywhere in the archipelago. The Agreement was tested at the highest levels of the United States' security establishment, across multiple agencies, and it has been backed by our key allies and international partners, including the US and all our Five Eyes partners.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials met with the Mauritian Attorney General during his recent visit to London.

The UK Government continues to engage with Mauritius on a range of issues related to implementation of the agreement between our countries, and I met the Mauritian Attorney General to that end on his last visit to London.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has discussed the (a) level and (b) quotas of fishing that the government of Mauritius expect to permit in the Chagos Archipelago marine environment.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 November to Question 90684.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Pelindaba Treaty once sovereignty is transferred to Mauritius in accordance with the UK-Mauritius treaty on operations at Diego Garcia.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 11 June in response to Question 57628.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Israeli counterpart on the potential impact of Hamas' involvement in aid agencies and NGOs in Gaza.

The UK is working tirelessly alongside our international partners to push forward all aspects of the 20-point peace plan endorsed by the United Nations Security Council on 17 November, including maintaining the ceasefire, increasing the flow of humanitarian aid, establishing an International Stabilisation Force, and removing Hamas from any role in the future governance of Gaza. We will continue to keep the House updated on the progress of this work over the coming weeks and months.