Richard Holden MP: written questions
1068 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Prime Minister: AviationCabinet OfficeTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63005More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of the Prime Minister’s international flights on (a) the Envoy IV, (b) Voyager and (c) GB-NI have been carbon offset since July 2024.
Answer: Official Prime Ministerial flights are carbon offset where that is possible.
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Workplace PensionsCabinet OfficeTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63004More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that Capita PLS meets its contractual milestones for the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Answer: The pension scheme administration is transitioning from MyCSP to Capita, with a formal transfer scheduled for December 2025. The Cabinet Office has outlined 12 Transition Milestones to ensure a smooth transfer, with payments to Capita contingent on meetin...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Culture, Media and SportCabinet OfficeTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63003More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of abolishing the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Answer: There are no plans of this kind.
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: Permanent SecretariesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63002More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 52906 on Department of Health and Social Care: Permanent Secretaries, whether she has been employed under the terms of the model permanent secretar
Answer: The Department launched a fair and open competition to appoint a Permanent Secretary in January 2025. As a result of this process, Samantha Jones was found to be an appointable candidate for this role. However, during the recruitment process, it was annou...
Answered 10 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: StaffDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63001More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to install customer experience machines in his Department to measure staff morale.
Answer: The Department currently has no plans to install customer experience machines to measure staff morale.The Department does, however, have mechanisms to measure staff engagement. The Department uses the annual Civil Service People Survey to understand staff...
Answered 14 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAntimicrobial Resistance and Cancer: Health EducationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63000More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Cabinet Office FOI disclosure FOI2025/05753 of 12 June 2025, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of cancelling the (a) Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) a
Answer: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has not conducted a formal assessment regarding the potential impact of cancelling the Keep Antibiotics Working campaign. UKHSA remains committed to promoting the importance of using antibiotics correctly, and in Spri...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Energy Security and Net Zero: AviationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62999More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 58273 on DESNZ: Aviation, if he will publish details of his domestic travel since 5 July 2024.
Answer: Details of internal domestic flights are not published.
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordChurches: FlagsChurch CommissionersTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62998More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what the Church's policy is on the flying of flags from churches.
Answer: The Church of England has specific rules regarding the flying of flags from its buildings. These policies relate to exterior flagpoles, and the display and the laying up of military standards or regimental colours.Policies and advice relating to the flyin...
Answered 6 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMI6: StonewallForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 26 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62997More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 51155 on MI6: Stonewall, if he will make it his policy to request MI6 cancel their Stonewall contract.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer to question 51155.
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Contracts for ServicesCabinet OfficeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62772More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how the Crown Commercial Service determines when to insert break clauses in procurement contracts.
Answer: This information is not held by the Cabinet Office. Contracts are established by the contracting authority (customer) with the supplier. It is the contracting authority's responsibility to assess the need for, and timing of, any break clauses in the contr...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card SolutionCabinet OfficeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62771More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the transparency data entitled Government Procurement Card spend over £500 - April 2025 (Cabinet Office Core), published on 29 May 2025, for what reason his Department spent £729.99 at Maray Al
Answer: The referenced cost declared in the Cabinet Office transparency return was associated with the UK-Ireland Summit.
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card SolutionWomen and EqualitiesTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62770More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the transparency data entitled Cabinet Office: Government Procurement Card spend over £500 - December 2024, published on 30 January 2025, for what reason her Department spent £790.50 on 23 De
Answer: Following the British Sign Language (BSL) Act coming into force in April 2022, which legally recognises BSL as a language of England, Scotland and Wales, a non-statutory BSL Advisory Board of 17 predominantly BSL users was established to advise the Govern...
Answered 9 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCompanies House: DatabasesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62769More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023: second progress report, published on 16 June 2025, what steps he is taking to remove (a) fals
Answer: The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 has given Companies House new powers to tackle false, incorrect or misleading information on its registers. To 31 May 2025, the use of these powers by Companies House has impacted 121,800 companies an...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLiving Wage and Minimum Wage: PublicityDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62768More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 52687 on Pay: Publicity, which digital influencers were commissioned for the campaign; and how much was paid to each.
Answer: As part of the National Minimum and Living Wage Campaign, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) selected six digital influencers who could reach the campaign’s target audiences through their social media channels.We are unable to provide details of ...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordLiving Wage and Minimum Wage: PublicityDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62766More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 28 May 2025 to Question 52687 on Pay: Publicity, which (a) publications, (b) channels and (c) sites paid-for advertising was undertaken on.
Answer: a). Publications: No paid advertising for this campaign ran in print publications.b). Channels: These were:o Online digital display advertisingo Digital online video (YouTube)o Social media (Snapchat, Meta - Facebook/Instagram, Reddit)o Radioo Out of home...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British Energy: StaffDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62765More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many office desks are allocated to staff in GB Energy; and how many staff are employed by GB Energy.
Answer: Great British Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, recognising the expertise, skilled workforce, and diversity of projects already in place. In the interim, Great British Energy is headquartered in DESNZ’s second headquarters in Aberdeen, C...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Energy Security and Net Zero: Public ExpenditureDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62764More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to paragraph 2.97 of HM Treasury's publication entitled Spending Review 2025: Departmental Efficiency Plans published on 11 June 2025, what the evidential basis is that insourc
Answer: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will reduce its reliance on external consultants and contractors by building internal capability in key corporate functions. DESNZ benchmarking and commercial frameworks show external consultants and con...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMyCSP: CorrespondenceCabinet OfficeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62763More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average length of time is for MyCSP to respond substantively to a query relating to the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
Answer: I refer the right hon. member to the answer given to PQ 60018, given on 19 June 2025.
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Media and Public SpeakingCabinet OfficeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62762More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 59753 on Civil Servants: Media and Public Speaking, whether guidance has been provided on Permanent Secretaries giving press conferences with Ministers.
Answer: The Government Communication Service (GCS) Propriety & Ethics Guidance applies to all civil servants.
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Trade UnionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62761More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether changes have been made to the NHS terms and conditions of service for Agenda for Change in relation to trade unions since 4 July 2024.
Answer: Changes to the National Health Service’s Terms and Conditions of Service, also known as the Agenda for Change contract, are agreed via the NHS Staff Council, which is a partnership body made up of employer and trade union representatives.The NHS’s Terms a...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCrown Representatives: Political ActivitiesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62760More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what declarations of political (a) activity and (b) interests were made by each Health Crown Representative.
Answer: The appointments of the Health Crown Representatives, as with all Crown Representatives, were made by the Cabinet Office.The Cabinet Office requires all Crown Representatives to declare any Conflict of Interest both on appointment and at regular intervals...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPornography: InternetDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62261More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to implement recommendation 9 of the Independent Pornography Review: the challenge of regulating online pornography, published on 27 February 2025.
Answer: The government is assessing the recommendations of the Independent Pornography Review in depth. A further update will be provided in due course.Under the Online Safety Act, online pornography companies are regulated by Ofcom. Online firms who publish thei...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPornographyDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62258More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure parity between the regulation of online and offline pornography.
Answer: The government is assessing the recommendations of the Independent Pornography Review in depth. A further update will be provided in due course.Under the Online Safety Act, online pornography companies are regulated by Ofcom. Online firms who publish thei...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Maternity and Neonatal TaskforceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62251More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the national investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal services announced on 23 June 2025 will be empowered to recommend (a) regulatory and (b) structural reform of the Care Quality Com
Answer: My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced an independent investigation into National Health Service maternity and neonatal services to understand the systemic issues behind why so many women, babies, and families exper...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPakistan: MarriageForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62250More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on first cousin marriage involving UK and Pakistani nationals.
Answer: The UK Government has not held recent discussions with the Government of Pakistan on first cousin marriage involving UK and Pakistani nationals. The Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill, currently under consideration in the UK Parliament, is...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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