Priti Patel MP: written questions 2025
409 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Mauritius: Trade AgreementsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36638More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the latest draft of the proposed UK-Mauritius Treaty contains provisions for the UK being authorised to exercise the sovereign rights and authorities of Mauritius on
Answer: We will retain full control over Diego Garcia with robust provisions to keep adversaries out. These include unrestricted access to and use of the base for the UK and US, including control over the electromagnetic spectrum; a buffer zone around Diego Garci...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: MauritiusForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36637More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) other Government Ministers plan to meet with their Mauritius counterparts in 2025.
Answer: As we and Mauritius have repeatedly said, including in joint statements on 20 December 2024 and on 13 January, both sides remain committed to concluding a deal on the future of the Chagos Archipelago. We look forward to future meetings with the Mauritian ...
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordDiego Garcia: Military BasesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36636More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2025 to Question 32985 on Diego Garcia: Military Bases, whether the proposed treaty announced on 3 October 2024 would have permitted the
Answer: The treaty will allow the UK and US to continue to operate the base as we have done for the next 99 years, with a provision to extend and the right of first refusal.
Answered 18 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36635More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 32981 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) the
Answer: The UK will assist Mauritius in implementing a new Mauritian Marine Protected Area in the Archipelago, which will extend to technical, financial, capacity-building assistance, fostering long-term sustainable management. The parties will work with interna...
Answered 19 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36634More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025 to Question 32981 on British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty, whether provisions for the continuation of the current marine protect
Answer: The agreement will be supported by an enhanced partnership between the UK and Mauritius on conservation. This partnership will prioritise high conservation standards, with the UK supporting Mauritius' ambitions to establish a Marine Protected Area (MPA) t...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChina: Foreign RelationsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36633More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when his Department's China Audit will be completed.
Answer: The China Audit will conclude in spring 2025.
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChina: Foreign Influence Registration SchemeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36632More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will place China in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
Answer: It would not be appropriate to comment at this point or speculate on which countries or entities may or may not be specified in the future.
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign Influence Registration SchemeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36631More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) his officials have discussed the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme with their Chinese counterparts since July 2024.
Answer: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials speak regularly with the Chinese Government about a range of issues. National Security is the first duty of government, and we will always act to protect it. Decisions on which foreign powers will be ...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordChinese EmbassyHome OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36630More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the proposed Chinese embassy on (a) national security and (b) the risk of transnational repression of diasporic (i) Hong
Answer: The planning application has been called in by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and she will make this quasi-judicial decision independent from the rest of Government.We are clear that national security ...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: ChinaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36629More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will list the (a) dates of and (b) names of those in attendance at meetings (i) he and (ii) his Ministers have had with representatives of the Chinese Government since
Answer: Meetings between Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ministers and representatives of the Chinese government can be found through publicly accessible means either on GOV.UK or ministers' social media accounts. We cannot provide a full list of nam...
Answered 17 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBill Discount SchemeDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 36628More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Households near new pylons to save hundreds on energy bills, published on 10 March 2025, when those measures will (a) be implemented
Answer: The bill discount scheme will apply to eligible domestic residents and is planned to go live from 2026 once regulations have been laid, when Parliamentary time allows. Eligibility will be set out in regulations, but our aim is that major new transmission ...
Answered 13 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordInfrastructureMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 27 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34248More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer given on 29 January 2025 to Question 21599 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Infrastructure, if she will list the (a) nine projects
Answer: 11 projects have now been decided in this parliamentary term, with Hinckley National Rail Freight Exchange being the most recent (decided on 10 March 2025). There are 9 projects due for decision and 16 projects at the Examination and Recommendation stage....
Answered 11 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: InfrastructureDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34247More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, 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 infrastructur
Answer: 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 ...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: InfrastructureDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34246More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, 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 s
Answer: 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...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: InfrastructureDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 34245More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, 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 portfoli
Answer: 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...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Capital InvestmentDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on future investment in strategic highway infrastructure.
Answer: 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 s...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordEast Anglia Rail FranchiseDepartment for TransportTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32994More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, 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 Gre
Answer: 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 not...
Answered 3 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxation: OverpaymentsTreasuryTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32993More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) people and (b) businesses have positive tax balances with HMRC due to overpayments of tax broken down by tax type; what the total value of those balances are; and (i) how many accounts and (ii) the tota
Answer: HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) does not hold readily available summary information on taxpayers with positive tax balances. Several regimes require taxpayers to make payments on account or settle tax liabilities ahead of filing returns, and subsequent to...
Answered 4 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: SovereigntyTreasuryTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32992More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with other Cabinet colleagues on the possibility of front-loading payments to Mauritius as part of the proposed UK-Mauritius Treaty on the future sovereignty of the British India Ocean T
Answer: HMT has been engaged on the financial mandate for negotiations with Mauritius. Any UK-Mauritius agreement, alongside the structure of any associated financial obligations, remains subject to finalisation and signature. As lead departments, the FCDO and th...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordLevelling Up Fund: CultureMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32991More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish an explanation for the decision taken in respect of each project that (a) will receive and (b) have had cancelled their share of Levelling Up funding for cult
Answer: Due to the extremely challenging financial situation this government inherited we have had to make difficult choices to prioritise funding within extremely tight budgets.We have carefully considered the responses to our consultation and chosen projects at...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: SovereigntyAttorney GeneralTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32990More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, whether the Attorney General has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the proposed UK-Mauritius Treaty on the future sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory; and whether the Attorney
Answer: As with any policy area, policy questions should be directed to the responsible Government department.Regarding legal advice, paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May states: “By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substan...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordAttorney General's Office: MauritiusAttorney GeneralTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32989More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 30615 on Attorney General: Mauritius, whether the proposed UK-Mauritius Treaty on the future sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory was discussed during the co
Answer: Pursuant to my answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 30615, the Attorney General’s meeting did not constitute part of formal negotiations. The Attorney General and his Mauritian counterpart discussed relations between our two countries; their respective ...
Answered 27 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordSyria: SanctionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32988More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Written Statement HCWS451 of 13 February 2025 on Syria Sanctions, if he will list the Syria Regulations he is planning to change; and what conditions he plans
Answer: As my statement to the House on 10 March made clear, the interim Syrian authorities must ensure the protection of all Syrians and to make progress towards an inclusive political transition. We will judge them by their actions, not their words.On 6 March, ...
Answered 24 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordCommonwealth: Development AidForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32987More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions (a) he, (b) his ministers and (c) officials from his Department have had with counterparts in the Commonwealth and Commonwealth member countries on reparator
Answer: We fully recognise the horrific impacts and the understandable, ongoing, strength of feeling on the transatlantic slave trade across communities in the UK and the Commonwealth family. Ministers have had no discussions with Commonwealth counterparts focuse...
Answered 10 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean Territory: SovereigntyForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 32986More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories on 5 February 2025, Official Report, col 760, on the future use
Answer: The government does not routinely disclose private discussions with any organisation, nor disclose legal advice it may have received. International organisations, including UN Specialised Agencies such as the International Telecommunication Union, would b...
Answered 6 Mar 2025
Original Parliament record
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