Richard Holden MP: written questions
1068 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Natural England: SumUpDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43117More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Defra: spending over £500, January 2025, published on 21 March 2025, what Natural England purchased from Sumup Event Bar Spar in
Answer: The expenditure detailed relates to a Christmas meal hospitality event held to recognise the contributions of volunteers at Fenn’s, Whixall, and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve. The total cost of £1,462.50 was processed for payment in January 2...
Answered 16 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNatural England: AmazonDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43116More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Defra: spending over £500, January 2025, published on 21 March 2025, what Natural England purchased from Amazon Marketplace on 3
Answer: The expenditure detailed relates to the purchase of equipment for public use (binoculars and a spotting scope) for a project at Goss Moor. The connecting people with nature project enables the public a closer view and experience of wildlife on the Nationa...
Answered 16 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironment Agency: ExpenditureDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43115More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Defra: spending over £500, January 2025, published on 21 March 2025, what the Environment Agency purchased from VAT: GB 69544938
Answer: On 14 January 2025, the Environment Agency purchased training for qualifying staff who hold a professional qualification provided by the Institute of Asset Management. The training was provided by Asset Management Consulting Limited, described on the publ...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironment Agency: Calder ConferencesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Defra: spending over £500, January 2025, published on 21 March 2025, what the Environment Agency purchased in the 95 transaction
Answer: In January 2025 the 95 transactions to Calders by the Environment Agency relate to its corporate contract for the provision of external meeting rooms and conference facilities. The dates in January relate to payment date and the provision of meeting rooms...
Answered 17 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBetting: RegulationTreasuryTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43113More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what powers the Financial Conduct Authority has to regulate sports spread bets; and whether those powers have changed since the implementation of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
Answer: Under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) 2000, HM Treasury is responsible for determining the perimeter of financial services regulation, with the approval of Parliament. This is chiefly achieved by specifying the financial services activities ...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty: TaxationTreasuryTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43106More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the guidance entitled Property business arrangements involving hybrid partnerships (Spotlight 63) was published on 4 October 2023; whether her Department prepared an impact assessment for that guidan
Answer: HMRC tackles avoidance schemes by directly challenging promoters and by informing and educating taxpayers. This includes for example, targeted educational campaigns for taxpayers, spotlight publications which provide an early warning to taxpayers of marke...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43086More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29019 on Civil Servants: Recruitment, what is the process by which a Minister can request a department (a) appoint and (b) consider appointing a specific in
Answer: The Civil Service Recruitment principles outline the process by which grades below SCS can be appointed without fair and open competition. This includes guidance about the involvement of Ministers in the recruitment process. The process and approach remai...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFreedom of Information and Parliamentary QuestionsCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42823More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2025 to Question 32268 on Freedom of Information and Parliamentary Questions: Impact Assessment, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that information which is rout
Answer: The information that is published in response to Parliamentary Questions is handled on a case by case basis, as is the information that is published in response to any request under the Freedom of Information Act. The Cabinet Office takes seriously both i...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign Investment in UK: National SecurityCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42821More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 20702 on Foreign Investment in UK: National Security, if he will publish mitigation measures taken as a result of final orders issued in the last year with th
Answer: The Government publishes notices of final orders made on GOV.UK - this includes cases that are blocked, unwound, or cleared subject to conditions. The notices include a high level summary of what mitigation measures are imposed on the parties.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Redundancy PayCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42820More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has issued guidance to (a) the civil service and (b) arm’s length bodies on paying back severance payments if civil servants made redundant rejoin the (a) civil service, (b) NHS and (c) wider public s
Answer: Whilst the NHS and some wider public sector organisations will have their own arrangements, any individual who leaves under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, and later returns to the same organisation, or another one that uses the Civil ...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: StandardsCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42819More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question HL4631 on Cabinet Office: Standards, if he will publish that template.
Answer: His Majesty's Government can confirm that:As was the case under the previous administration, the template is intended solely for internal departmental use and will not be released publicly.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Public OpinionCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42818More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance he has issued on efficiency savings through reducing spending on public opinion research.
Answer: The Prime Minister has set out his ambition to deliver long-term, impactful changes to reshape the British state and the Government is taking forward a number of measures to deliver greater efficiency and transformation in the Civil Service. The Governmen...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: PayCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42817More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 14354 on Civil Servants: Pay, what the budget for civil service pay is (a) including and (b) excluding National insurance employer contributions in (i) 2024
Answer: Departments are responsible for pay, terms and conditions of civil servants, within the parameters set out in the Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance, this includes setting budgets for annual increases for its own workforce. Salary data for the Civil Service...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPermanent Secretaries: Conditions of EmploymentCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42816More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) Permanent Secretaries and (b) Second Permanent Secretaries are employed on fixed term contracts.
Answer: The majority of Permanent Secretaries (First and Second) are permanent civil servants, on permanent contracts. Exceptionally, fixed term contracts may be offered to external candidates, for example in the case of specialist roles. When appointed to a Perm...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMariana MazzucatoCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42814More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2024 to Question 7760 on Marian Mazzucato, whether she is an adviser to the Government in any other capacity.
Answer: Ministers regularly liaise with a wide range of stakeholders. Mariana Mazzucato is not employed within government as a special adviser. Nor does she hold a position in a role as a regulated public appointee.
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFair Work Agency: StatisticsCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42813More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to lay a new Official Statistics Order to designate the Fair Work Agency’s statistical outputs as official statistics.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 31st March is attached.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: Public AppointmentsDepartment for TransportTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42812More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether appointments to Great British Railways will be included in the Public Bodies Order in Council; and whether the Chair will be classified as a Significant Appointment.
Answer: After the Railways Bill is scrutinised by Parliament, and as part of the design of Great British Railways, we will consider whether to propose an amendment to the Public Bodies Order in Council. We expect that the GBR Chair will be classed as a significa...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British RailwaysCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42811More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Public Bodies Handbook – Part 2: The Approvals Process for the Creation of New Arm’s-Length Bodies, whether his Department's public bodies team assessed Great
Answer: The Department for Transport is currently working through the approval process to establish Great British Railways as an Arm’s Length Body. The completion of business cases as part of this process considers viable delivery mechanisms and the three tests.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment People Group: Gender and SexualityCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42808More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 15471 on Office for Equality and Opportunity: Gender and Sexuality, whether the Civil Service People Group formally recognises any (a) genders, (b) sexual o
Answer: Data collection on gender identities, genders or sexual orientation is delegated to departments.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: IncentivesCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42807More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 September 2024 to Question 4697 on Civil Servants: Incentives, at what point in the year Cabinet Office civil servants are typically given such incentive payments of shopping voucher
Answer: In-year vouchers can be given at any point in the year. The vouchers cannot be directly redeemed for utility bills, but have a wide range of retail outlets where they can be spent. The Cabinet Office does not use Love2Shop vouchers.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Public RelationsCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42806More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department has issued on delivering efficiency savings through reducing spending on external public relations.
Answer: The Government regularly evaluates the effectiveness of all communication activities to ensure they are delivering and providing the best value for money for taxpayers. An example of this is the recent comprehensive communications Spending Review that del...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsHome OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42706More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37318 on Animal Experiments: Animal Welfare, how many animals were bred for use in procedures licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act
Answer: The most recent statistics in this category were published in 2017, when 1.81 million non-genetically altered (non-GA) animals were bred for scientific procedures but were killed or died without being used in regulated procedures. These statistics can be ...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Trade Union OfficialsCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42609More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2024 to Question 10990 on Civil Servants: Trade Union Officials, whether he plans to increase the amount of facility time to recognised trade unions in his Department followi
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring there is sufficient facility time for all trade union representatives in the public sector. Existing guidance remains in place and no decisions have been made about changes to Facility Time in the civil service.
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Freedom of InformationCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42608More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the response to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 request with reference FOI2024/14571.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the response to PQ23470, PQ25857 and PQ28578. A copy of the information released in FOI2024/14571 relating the special advisers appointments by the Prime Minister has been deposited in the House Library.
Answered 9 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Disclosure of InformationCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42607More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps to undertake an audit of whether other Government departments are meeting the publication requirements outlined in the then Prime Minister's letter entitled Government transparency and open
Answer: I refer the honourable member to my response to PQ 30681.
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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