Richard Holden MP: written questions
1068 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Cabinet Office: RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50576More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many roles in his Department were (a) externally advertised and (b) subject to open competition since 30 May 2024; and how many senior civil servants have been appointed without external advertisement and op
Answer: Substantive appointments and promotions to or within Senior Civil Service (SCS) grades at Cabinet Office have to be through fair and open competition. Between 30 May 2024 and 30 April 2025, the Cabinet Office advertised 19 SCS roles through fair and open ...
Answered 15 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: WomenCabinet OfficeTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50575More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what official internal communications (a) his Department, (b) the Civil Service's diversity networks, (c) the Civil Service People Group and (d) the Office for Equality and Opportunity have sent civil servants i
Answer: The Cabinet Office issued an intranet update on 30 April 2025 confirming a review of relevant policies, guidance and workplace facilities to ensure legal compliance.No communications have been issued by the Government People Group. Any messaging issued by...
Answered 16 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEthics and Integrity CommissionCabinet OfficeTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50574More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46285 on Ethics and Integrity Commission, when he will establish the Commission; and whether it will be placed on a statutory basis.
Answer: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given to PQ UIN 46285 on 28 April 2025.
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: SurveysDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50573More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44471 on Civil Service: Survey, if he will publish the Civil Service People Survey 2024 headline results for the No.10 business unit
Answer: Defra does not hold this data. I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 30 April 2025 to PQ 46750.
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: ArtworksDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 45908 on Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Cultural Heritage, which pieces of work have been (a) installed and (b) deinstalled in e
Answer: I invite the Rt Hon Member to search any information he requires on the artworks and their locations on the Government Art Collection website.
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordWinston Churchill: ArtworksHouse of Commons CommissionTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50571More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44585 on Winston Churchill: Artworks, which Members’ offices removed the portrait of Churchill; and whe
Answer: Artworks are removed from offices during dissolution and the General Election to mitigate risk to the collection during this busy period and to ensure availability of suitable works to meet Member requests for office hangs upon their election.Between June...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordParliamentary Estate: ArtworksHouse of Commons CommissionTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50570More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 44587 on Parliamentary Estates: Artworks, what the (a) nature, (b) title and (c) artist is of each item
Answer: The attached data provides detail of individual artworks falling under the following categories:iA) artworks installed between dissolution and 4 July 2024 (40 artworks)iiA) artworks removed between dissolution and 4 July 2024 (80 artworks)iB) artworks ins...
Answered 28 May 2025
Original Parliament recordOffice for Value for MoneyTreasuryTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50569More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff by headcount are currently assigned to the Office for Value for Money; and what is the annual budget for the business unit.
Answer: The Office for Value for Money is a small, time-limited organisation based in HM Treasury. In addition to its independent Chair, the OVfM comprises a team of c.15 officials, including secondees from the National Audit Office (NAO), the Government Commerci...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 7 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50568More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information his Department holds on the number of Departments that use the Redbox AI chatbot.
Answer: Redbox is available in DSIT, the Prime Minister's Office and the Cabinet Office. The Department for Business and Trade also runs its own instance of Redbox.
Answered 16 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Digital Service: Gender and SexDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50226More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answers of 25 April 2025 to Question 46855 and 46855 on Government Digital Service: Gender and Government Digital Service: Sex, what his timetable is for the review of t
Answer: In response to a previous question from the Hon Member, it was noted that GDS would review the Design System’s guidance in line with any changes to the Code of Practice issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The Commission has since co...
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Digital Service: Gender and SexDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50225More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025, to Question 46855 on Government Digital Service: Gender and Government Digital Service: Sex, whether Stonewall advised on the previous guidance.
Answer: Stonewall did not advise GDS in developing the extant Design System guidance.
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordLiving Wage and Minimum Wage: PublicityDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50224More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the public awareness campaign entitled millions got a pay rise, (a) how many beer mats were (i) printed and (ii) distributed and (b) whether communications consultancies advised on th
Answer: My department is running an awareness campaign following the increase to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates on 1 April 2025, using several advertising channels to ensure workers are aware of the increase and know how to check their p...
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordTrade Union RecognitionDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50223More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to change the 21 employee threshold for the recognition of a trade union.
Answer: The exemption for small employers under the statutory recognition scheme where the workplace is comprised of less than 21 workers has been in place for many years. The government has no plans to change it.
Answered 14 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPassenger Standards Authority: Public AppointmentsDepartment for TransportTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50222More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether appointments to the Passenger Standards Authority will be included in the Public Bodies Order in Council.
Answer: The public consultation on the railways bill closed in April 2025 and explored options for a new passenger watchdog. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a response in due course. As with any public body, the appro...
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEqual PayWomen and EqualitiesTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50221More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Regulatory Policy Committee's publication Status of Post Implementation Reviews, published on 24 April 2025, for what reason the post-implementation review of the Equality Act 2010 (Gende
Answer: The post-implementation review of the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2017 was published on 11th April 2023. The post implementation review and supporting documents can be accessed here.
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdmiralty HouseCabinet OfficeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50220More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 45659 on Admiralty House, what use is being made of the two unoccupied flats in Admiralty House; and whether those flats are furnished as dwellings.
Answer: There has been no change to the set up and contents of the two unoccupied flats since June 2024. They remain as they were under the previous government.
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50219More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Civil Service Commission's publication entitled How Departments are doing on fair and open recruitment: what the Commission’s audits found, published in April 2025, if he will place in the
Answer: The Civil Service Commission is operationally independent of the Government. The Commission reports on its audit activity each year in its Annual Report but does not publish individual departmental audits.
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50218More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to speed up the roll out electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Answer: The Government is working with stakeholders, including industry, to accelerate the rollout of chargepoints. We have recently published a call for evidence which aims to gather views on how we can reform the planning system to make EV charging rollout easi...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50217More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage garage and repair networks to offer (a) accessible and (b) affordable (i) battery health testing and (ii) other maintenance services for owners of electric vehic
Answer: The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles has endorsed the Institute of the Motor Industry’s (IMI) TechSafe scheme, which helps to ensure technicians have the skills they need to safely repair an electric vehicle (EV). It also allows consumers to access a reg...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: BatteriesDepartment for TransportTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50216More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on implementing a standardised battery health certification scheme for electric vehicles.
Answer: The Department for Transport has worked with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to develop a Global Technical Regulation on electric vehicle batteries (GTR No.22). If implemented, the regulation would set standards on the lifespan of a batt...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Secondhand GoodsDepartment for TransportTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50215More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans her Department has to support buyers of second-hand electric vehicles.
Answer: Used battery electric vehicle (EV) sales are growing rapidly. According to industry statistics, in 2024 the number of used EVs sold grew 57% compared to 2023. Growth is expected to continue as more and more EVs come onto the used market in the coming year...
Answered 12 May 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50214More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the EU's Security Action for Europe procurement programme of the effectiveness of the UK’s defence procurement; and what assessment he has made o
Answer: This is a critical moment for the security of Europe. We welcome European efforts to increase defence spending, through the ReArm initiative and proposed Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism. This must be a whole-of-Europe effort, in alignment with...
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordTeachers: PayDepartment for EducationTabled 2 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49963More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for School Standards of 28 April 2025, Official Report, column 7, if she will make an estimate of the proportionate pay rise that could be provided to tea
Answer: On 18 March, the department published the Schools’ Costs Technical Note, which forecast the headroom in schools’ budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, and set out what pay rise, for both teachers and support staff, would be affordable on that basis.
Answered 30 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Service: EqualityCabinet OfficeTabled 2 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49962More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2025 to Question 41077 on Civil Service: Equality, what his planned timetable is for the publication of EDI exemptions data; how this will be published; and whether each Depart
Answer: Details of external EDI expenditure will be reported by the Cabinet Office in due course, as per the EDI Expenditure Guidance requirements.
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: PolicyCabinet OfficeTabled 2 May 2025AnsweredUIN 49961More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of changes to the write-round process introduced since July 2024.
Answer: It is the prerogative of the Prime Minister, on advice of the Cabinet Secretary, to determine the proceedings of Cabinet and its committees, including decisions reached via correspondence. The principle of collective responsibility requires that the priva...
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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