Priti Patel MP: written questions 2025
409 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Chagossian Trust FundForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 8 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50837More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 given to Question 48885 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Development Aid, whether (a) British Chagossians will be represented in the go
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the response given to her previous Question 32980 on the details of the Treaty.
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Public ExpenditureForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48891More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much his Department spent on on (a) business hospitality, (b) grant in aid to arms length bodies, (c) recruitment, (d) transport equipment costs, (e) travel and (f) IT an
Answer: The department spend for 2024/25 is still subject to audit and therefore may change. At the time of responding, we estimate the spend to be:ABusiness Hospitality£10.5 millionCRecruitment£1.2 millionDTransport equipment£6.4 millionETravel£84.9 millionFIT a...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48890More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Government officials have been involved in the negotiations with Mauritius over the proposed treaty on the future sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory s
Answer: It would be difficult to assess how many officials are working on the negotiations, given that we do not record and measure the amount of time spent on any one topic where an official covers a range of matters.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48889More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what mechanisms are in place for the (a) renewal and (b) changes to the costs of the proposed lease with Mauritius towards the end of the initial 99-year period.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the response given to her previous Question 39402 on the details of the Treaty.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48888More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) inflation measures and (b) indexation methodology has been included in the proposed treaty with Mauritius.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the response given to her previous Question 39402 on the details of the Treaty.
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48887More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of potential challenges to resettling parts of the Chagos Archipelago.
Answer: Our agreement will enable Mauritius to develop a programme of resettlement on the islands, other than Diego Garcia. The terms of resettlement will be for Mauritius to determine.
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48886More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish his response to the representations his Department has received from Chagossians on the potential resettlement of parts of the Chagos Archipelago under the
Answer: We will engage with Chagossians in the UK, and around the world on the implementation of the agreement at both an official and Ministerial level. We do not provide a running commentary on correspondence that is sent to individuals or organisations by Mini...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagossian Trust FundForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48885More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress he has made on the (a) capitalisation of the proposed Chagossian Trust Fund, (b) developing the governance arrangements for he proposed Chagossian Trust Fund an
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the response given to her previous Parliamentary Question 39402 on the details of the Treaty.
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordNationally Significant Infrastructure ProjectsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47654More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 23 April 2025 entitled Further reforms to the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects regime, HCWS594, which project
Answer: Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) applications once accepted by the Planning Inspectorate are being processed on average 50 days quicker in this Parliament than in the last. This was calculated using the average time taken by projects ...
Answered 7 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRussia: UkraineForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47653More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of reports of China's involvement in support of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Answer: Any support for Putin's brutal and illegal war against Ukraine is deplorable. We are extremely concerned by these reports. There is a growing body of evidence that Chinese companies are enabling Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.The Foreign Secretary h...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChina: Foreign Influence Registration SchemeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47652More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Home Secretary on the potential merits of placing China in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
Answer: No decision has been made in relation to specifying China on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. As the Security Minister confirmed in Parliament on 1 April, countries are considered separately, and decisions are made based on ...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47651More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Question v of the letter of 25 March 2025 from the Minister for the Indo-Pacific to the Chair of the International Agreements Committee on Treaty scrutiny,
Answer: As we have repeatedly said, once an agreement is reached and the Treaty is signed, the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny under the CRaG process in the usual way.
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47650More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the 21 day scrutiny period for his proposed Treaty with Mauritius over the future sovereignty of the Britis
Answer: This issue was the subject of correspondence between the Secretary of State and the Chair of the International Agreements Committee, which was published on the Committee's website: committees.parliament.uk/publications/46222/documents/231382/default/
Answered 1 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 47649More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution by the then Minister for Development on 26 February 2025, Official Report, column 873, who the 28 international judges and arbitrators
Answer: As well as the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion in 2019, an Arbitral Tribunal under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 2015 and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in 2021 have considered the sovereignty of the Chagos ...
Answered 8 May 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: AbductionForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45608More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Polish counterpart on improving cooperation in (a) cross-border family law cases and (b) cases involving parental child abduction; and wh
Answer: This Government takes International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA) extremely seriously. As a signatory to the 1980 Hague Convention, the UK remains committed to the effective enforcement of court orders requiring a child's return to their place of habitu...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45607More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which representatives of the Mauritian government his Department has had discussions with on the proposed treaty since July 2024.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the response given to her previous Parliamentary Question 36637, which remains the same.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: MauritiusForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45606More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has received from his Mauritian counterpart on the proposed treaty since 31 January 2025.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the response given to her previous Parliamentary Question 36637, which remains the same.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChagos Islands: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45605More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which legislation will require changes due to the proposed treaty with Mauritius; whether the Office of Parliamentary Counsel has drafted the necessary legislation; and when
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the response given to her previous Parliamentary Questions 39402, 39403 and 41824 on the details of the treaty.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: Marine Protected AreasForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45604More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether research studies on the establishment of the British Indian Ocean Territory marine protected area for the period 2010 to 2024 will be published this year.
Answer: The British Indian Ocean Territory Administration currently has responsibility for the management and monitoring of its marine protected area, including the release of research studies sponsored by them.
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: RedundancyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45603More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much (a) funding is available for voluntary exit schemes in (i) his Department and (ii) non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department and (b) his Department
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office agreed a voluntary exit scheme settlement for Financial Year 2025/2026 with His Majesty's Treasury of £35 million. The current scheme does not include any non-departmental bodies. Exits must be completed by...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: StaffForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45602More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of (a) the size of his Department's workforce and (b) the cost of his Department's workforce in the (i) 2025-26, (ii) 2026-27, (iii) 2027-28, (iv)
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has a workforce budget of £1.02 billion for Financial Year 2025-26, which currently supports a workforce of 17,300, inclusive of 5900 UK based staff in the UK, 2,200 UK based staff overseas and 9,200...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Cost EffectivenessForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45601More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 20 December 2024 and 13 March 2025 to Questions 18362 and 32977 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Cost Effectiveness, what plans his
Answer: As agreed with HM Treasury in Phase 1 of Spending Review 2025, The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will make savings of 2 per cent of total Resource budgets in Financial Year 2025-26 (£26 million). The FCDO plans to achieve this throug...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: EssexMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45600More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the amount of land outside of currently designated settlement boundaries in Essex in respective local plans which will be required to meet her housi
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework expects local planning authorities to plan to meet their identified needs and have a clear understanding of the land available in their area. This includes identifying suitable locations for sustainable development.I...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: AbductionForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45599More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has received representations on delays or challenges in securing the return of British children from Poland under the Hague Convention on the Civil Asp
Answer: This Government takes International Parental Child Abduction (IPCA) extremely seriously. Affected parents have reported issues to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regarding the enforcement of Polish court orders requiring the return of abd...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxation: RepaymentsTreasuryTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45598More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Time To Pay Agreements with (a) individuals and (b) businesses there were in each year since 2020; how many of those agreements have been (i) terminated and (ii) renegotiated since July 2024; and how many c
Answer: HMRC publishes data on the number of customers in Time to Pay (TTP) arrangements as part of its quarterly performance updates, which can be found here: www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates Over 90% of TTP arrangements are c...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →