Richard Holden MP: written questions
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Written questions
Ukraine: Prisoners of WarForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2126More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has considered imposing targeted sanctions on Russian judges, prosecutors and other officials involved in the prosecution and sentencing of Ukrainian p
Answer: Together with our international partners, we have already imposed on Russia the largest and most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on a major economy. However, it is the UK's long-standing policy not to speculate about any future sanctions designat...
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Prisoners of WarForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2125More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international partners to secure International Committee of the Red Cross access to Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia, includ
Answer: Russia must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, in its treatment of prisoners of war. Under the Geneva Conventions, all parties must allow the International Committee of the Red Cross safe, u...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: Mobile BroadbandDepartment for TransportTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2124More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment Network Rail has made of the adequacy of existing trackside infrastructure, including GSM-R masts and overhead line stanchions, for use by mobile network operators and private 5G providers; and
Answer: Network Rail is exploring options for the shared use of its existing trackside telecommunications infrastructure, including through programmes such as the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) and Project Reach. This includes undertaking stud...
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament recordHigh Speed Two: ExpenditureDepartment for TransportTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2123More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what expenditure has HS2 Limited undertaken on public affairs companies since 4 July 2024; and for what purposes.
Answer: Since 4 July 2024 HS2 Ltd has spent £212,200 on external public affairs support. This has focused on supporting HS2 Ltd and its senior leadership on communications strategy and stakeholder engagement.The spend refers to 5 contracts, which were signed on 2...
Answered 27 May 2026
Original Parliament recordEast West Rail Line: ExpenditureDepartment for TransportTabled 18 May 2026AnsweredUIN 2122More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what expenditure has East West Rail undertaken on public affairs companies since 4 July 2024; and for what purposes.
Answer: In April 2024, East West Rail (EWR) took out a contract for external support with political engagement, to the value of £366,615. It now no longer uses external support for public affairs activity. This particular contract lasted from July 2024 to Septemb...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: Waiting ListsDepartment for TransportTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1726More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 124885, in which month does her Department estimate that the DVSA will meet the level of driving examiners required to reduce the average waiting time f
Answer: It is not possible to predict the specific month in which the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will have enough examiners to reduce car practical driving test waiting times to seven weeks. Any such estimate would be subject to a wide range of un...
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordKatharine BirbalsinghDepartment for EducationTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1721More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2025 to Question 39574 on Katharine Birbalsingh, when the final note was shared.
Answer: In line with Cabinet Office guidance on circulating minutes, published under the previous administration, meeting notes should be shared in the days following the meeting. The meeting with Katharine Birbalsingh followed this approach.
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: ChildcareMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1720More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much and what proportion was the change in average fees for his Department's sites offering childcare compared to 2024-25.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence does not hold fee information related to UK based childcare centrally, and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Childcare provision in the UK Defence estate is typically delivered by third-parties, with contractual...
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament recordUkraine: Prisoners of WarForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1719More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to her Russian counterpart on reports by the UN Monitoring Mission in Ukraine that 95 per cent of Ukrainian prisoners of war held by
Answer: The UK continues to raise our serious concerns about these reports of widespread torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war on the international stage. We strongly condemn any torture or ill-treatment of prisoners of war, and we continue to make clear that suc...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Highways: ExpenditureDepartment for TransportTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1718More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what expenditure National Highways has undertaken on i) public affairs and ii) lobbying companies since 4 July 2024; and for what purposes.
Answer: From July 2024 to 18 May 2026, National Highways spent £280,921 on its technical professional services’ public affairs contract. This contract supports National Highways’ duties as a public body to ensure that a wide range of national and regional represe...
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMarriage: RelativesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1717More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the status is of the NHS investigation into inappropriate wording referring to the potential benefits of cousin marriage; and whether the outcome of that investigation has resulted in amendmen
Answer: The medical evidence is clear that first cousin marriages are high risk, and we know the genetic defects and harm that they can cause. The Department has worked with NHS England to understand how previous materials that referred to the potential benefits ...
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: AccountancyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1716More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the average annual cost to businesses of transitioning from small to medium-sized company status due to accounting changes under FRS 102; and what assessment he has made of
Answer: FRS 102 is issued by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) and the responsibility for any detailed assessment of the impact of changes in FRS 102 rests with the FRC. Impact assessments are available on the FRC’s website: Impact Assessments and Feedback St...
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament recordRussia: ShippingForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1715More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the use of a Russian shadow fleet to evade oil sanctions; and whether she (a) plans to restrict
Answer: The Russia sanctions regime prohibits Russian ships, and other ships specified by the Secretary of State, from entering ports in the United Kingdom. We recently enhanced our powers to impose additional prohibitions when sanctioning vessels, including proh...
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament recordSodium Valproate and Surgical Mesh Implants: CompensationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1714More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish a response to The Hughes Report: Options for redress for those harmed by valproate and pelvic mesh, published on 7 February 2024; and whether he plans to approv
Answer: The Government extends its deepest sympathies to all those affected by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh, and recognises the profound, life‑changing impact these harms have had on individuals and their families. We know that for many, the consequences are ...
Answered 4 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: Mobile BroadbandDepartment for TransportTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1713More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress Network Rail has made on improving passenger mobile connectivity through the upgrade from GSM-R to the Future Railway Mobile Communication System; and what the planned timeline is for that upgrade
Answer: The Government is committed to improving passenger connectivity as a core part of the rail offer. This is why the Department secured funding as part of the Spending Review to use low earth orbit satellite connectivity to significantly improve on train Wi-...
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsHome OfficeTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1712More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish her Department's response to the Animals in Science Committee report on non-technical summaries and retrospective assessments.
Answer: The Home Office published the Department’s response to the Animals in Science Committee report on non-technical summaries and retrospective assessments on 8th May 2026. The response can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-technica...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordMinisters: AviationMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1711More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44594, on Ministers: Aviation, which Ministers took the flights.
Answer: It has been the practice of successive administrations not to publish granular information relating to the official movements of Ministers and those accompanying them within the United Kingdom. Information about official overseas ministerial travel is pub...
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament record10 Downing Street: CatsCabinet OfficeTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1710More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which budget the cat flap and cat ramp in Downing Street was funded from.
Answer: The associated costs were covered by the Prime Minister personally with no cost to the taxpayer.
Answered 20 May 2026
Original Parliament recordNuclear Weapons: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1709More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his position is on the (a) procurement by the UK Government and (b) development by the Atomic Weapons Establishment, of non-ballistic, tactical nuclear weapons, for use in a conflict.
Answer: The UK does not categorise nuclear weapon capabilities as either strategic or sub-strategic/tactical. The UK’s nuclear weapons are intended to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life, as well as that of our NATO Allies, rat...
Answered 26 May 2026
Original Parliament recordUnemployment: Basildon and BillericayDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1708More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people aged (a) between 16 and 24 and (b) over 16 are unemployed in Basildon and Billericay constituency (i) in the latest period for which statistics are available and (
Answer: The information requested on trends in levels of unemployment is published and available at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp and the guidance for users can be found at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp. The estimated unemployment levels a...
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament recordBroadcasting: PoliticiansDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1707More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to respond to the Ofcom consultation entitled Politicians presenting news: Consultation on proposed amendment to Rule 5.3 of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, published on
Answer: Ofcom’s consultation on proposed amendments to Rule 5.3 of the Broadcasting Code closed on 23 June 2025, and Ofcom published a response to the consultation on 20 October 2025. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport did not respond to the consultation...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordCountryside: AccessDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 15 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1706More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to take legislative steps to improve access to nature.
Answer: This Government has announced, as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, that we will bring forward an Access to Nature Green Paper to consult on proposals to improve and expand public access to the outdoors. The Green Paper will set out a range...
Answered 22 May 2026
Original Parliament recordControlled BurningDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 14 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1239More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the European Commission’s support for grazing and the controlled burning of vegetation as measures to red
Answer: Careful choice of land management techniques can play a part in reducing wildfire impacts and bring a wide range of public benefits, but influencing human behaviour will be essential in preventing most wildfires from starting. Decisions on the most approp...
Answered 11 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSyria: SanctionsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 14 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1238More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has had discussions with Inter Mediate on de-sanctioning the Syrian regime since 4 July 2024.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was given on 3 June 2025 on the last occasion he asked this question (UIN 52690).
Answered 18 May 2026
Original Parliament recordFormer Ministers: Departmental RecordsAttorney GeneralTabled 14 May 2026AnsweredUIN 1237More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, what guidance she has issued to Departments on whether former Ministers should be consulted before internal Ministerial papers are shared with the courts.
Answer: The Solicitor General has not issued any guidance to Departments on whether former Ministers should be consulted before internal Ministerial papers are shared with the courts.
Answered 21 May 2026
Original Parliament record
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