Richard Holden MP: written questions
2152 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Ministry of Defence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120930More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of contracts have been awarded by his Department in this Parliament under the terms of the Single Source Contract Regulations 2014 in each month since they came in to force; and with
Answer: The total number of contracts which meet the requirements of the Single Source Contract Regulations 2014 placed in this Parliament is 100. This equates to 4.74% of all contracts placed on or since 4 July 2024.
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordVehicle Number Plates: FraudDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120928More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the percentage of licensed vehicles operating in Greater London that are fitted with ghost, stealth or otherwise ANPR-defeating number plates; what data is collected by
Answer: The DVLA does not routinely collect data on the prevalence of different physical plate types fitted to vehicles. The Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and is consulting on introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for being in c...
Answered 20 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordVehicle Number PlatesDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120927More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of the use of show plates on licensed vehicles used on public roads; whether her Department has considered prohibiting the fitting of show plates to vehicles
Answer: The DVLA does not routinely collect data on the prevalence of different physical plate types fitted to vehicles. The Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and is consulting on introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for being in c...
Answered 20 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordUnmanned Air SystemsMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120926More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has held discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on cooperation relating to counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities; whether he has considered the deployment of Ukrainian counter-UAV (a)
Answer: Russia’s illegal invasion has resulted in Ukraine becoming a world leader in drone and electronic warfare technology. The Secretary of State for Defence has regular discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on this issue and is delighted that on the 17 M...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBus Services: CyclewaysDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120922More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 116791, on what date the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) was first asked to provide input on the guidance entitled Floating Bus Stops: Pr
Answer: On 9 August 2024, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) issued an advice note on floating bus stops following the publication of research by Living Streets. Officials working on the floating bus stop guidance were aware of this advice....
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120920More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Civil Service Jobs platform records (a) the number of applications received and (b) the number of appointments made for Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency driving examiner recruitment campaigns sinc
Answer: The Civil Service Jobs platform is the central portal for recruitment across the Civil Service and records data for all campaigns managed through the system. Since July 2024, the platform has recorded a total of 26,490 applications received and 1,082 post...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120919More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116574 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, whether her Department has defined quantitative benchmarks for the total number of public electric vehicle charge
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 116574.
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHybrid Vehicles: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120918More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116554 on Hybrid Vehicles: Safety, whether there are areas of transport safety policy which the Government considers to be of paramount importance where the De
Answer: In developing transport safety policy, the Government draws on a broad range of evidence to support policy development and decisions. This includes using existing independent evidence where it is sourced from robust and reliable research, alongside commis...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTunnels: ConstructionDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120916More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the use of Norwegian-style drill-and-blast tunnelling methods in the construction of UK transport tunnels; and whether she has considered the u
Answer: Norwegian style drill and blast tunnelling is generally suited to continuous hardrock geology that is not characteristic of most interurban routes in the UK. Instead, the latter frequently involves tunnelling through highly variable ground conditions incl...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Civil ServantsDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120914More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2026 to Question 116586, what estimate her Department has made of the level of fees not being paid to former private sector train operating companies as a result of the public
Answer: Public ownership will save taxpayers up to an estimated £110-150 million every year on fees currently paid to privately-owned train operating companies, once all services currently delivered under contract with the Department have transferred.The increase...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: Greater ManchesterDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120882More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in what month and year her Department expects to make a decision on whether to proceed with any developments to the Northern Powerhouse Rail route referred to in the Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 10714
Answer: The Department is currently discussing the detail and timing of that work with Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Highways and Network Rail: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120881More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 111871, whether any net financial efficiency savings are expected to be attributable to Network Rail from the technology and systems investments, after acc
Answer: Network Rail will write to you on this issue and incorporate a response to your question into its response to a similar question asked previously by Jerome Mayhew MP.
Answered 30 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Wealth FundTreasuryTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120880More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including logistics transport infrastructure in the National Wealth Fund’s five-year strategic plan.
Answer: Transport is one of the National Wealth Fund’s priority sectors.
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDfT Operator: TrainingDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120879More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department has provided through DfT Operator Limited to increase the number of rail training places.
Answer: The DfT funds DFTO Train Operating Companies directly for a range of activities including training, agreed during the rolling business planning process. This is currently not through DfT Operator Limited.
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDfT Operator: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Department expects DfT Operator Limited to deliver a 3.5 per cent real return as set out in paragraph 11.43 of the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance.
Answer: DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO) is the government’s public sector rail owning group. As a head office it is responsible for overseeing its rail operator subsidiary companies. DfT Operator Ltd therefore has minimal external trading activity and therefore it is not...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether procurement contracts issued by the Ministry of Defence must include provisions relating to (a) diversity, equality and inclusion and (b) climate change or sustainability targets or reporting requirements
Answer: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) mandates the inclusion of the Equality Defence Condition (DEFCON 516) in all its procurement contracts. This condition obligates suppliers to comply with the Equality Act 2010. The MOD request that industry provide a Carbon R...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNorthern: Rolling StockDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average number of carriages has been on Northern Rail services operating on the Clitheroe–Manchester line during each of the last 18 months; and how many short-formed services have operated on that lin
Answer: Between 16 September 2024 and 16 March 2026, 35.5 per cent of Northern services on the Clitheroe-Manchester line had two carriages, while 64.5 per cent had four carriages. In the same period, Northern ran 16,149 services, of which 3,430 (21.2 per cent) ha...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record9 Downing Street: Repairs and MaintenanceCabinet OfficeTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120875More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64569, on 9 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance, whether OCS has submitted an application for payment for the costs of the 9 Downing Street media suite.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer of 25th March 2026, Official Report, PQ 116506.
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordParking: Fees and ChargesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120874More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the level of disputes over charges regarding private parking operators belonging to accredited trade associations since 4 July 2024.
Answer: The department holds baseline information on private parking appeals, provided through stakeholder engagement. The government also has a new strategy to enable the regular collection of data regarding the private parking industry, as outlined in the 2025 ...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordParking: Private SectorDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120873More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of oversight arrangements governing access to vehicle keeper data held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency by private parking operators through acc
Answer: Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 permits the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper details in certain limited circumstances, subject to appropriate safeguards.Vehicle keeper da...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDrax Power Station: Employment Tribunals ServiceDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120628More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is reviewing documents released to the media in March 2025 in relation to the employment tribunal involving the Drax whistleblower; and whether any findings from that m
Answer: DESNZ does not hold these documents, so is not reviewing them and has not shared them with Ofgem.
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Energy Security and Net Zero: ContractsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120048More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, a) what services were provided under contract PS24098 awarded to Guidehouse Europe Limited titled “Consulting service for internal assurance of existing sustainability assurance arrangement”;
Answer: Following a report published by the National Audit Office in January 2024, titled “the government’s support for biomass”, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero commissioned Guidehouse to review the robustness of the biomass sustainability assura...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMaternity ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120047More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 112364, whether the annual spend on maternity care reported in the NHS National Cost Collection includes or excludes payments made by NHS Reso
Answer: The annual spend on maternity in the NHS National Cost Collection does not include payments made by NHS Resolution.Payments for maternity clinical negligence claims are made from the clinical negligence scheme for trusts, which is managed by NHS Resolutio...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPorts: National Policy StatementsDepartment for TransportTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120046More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 111444, whether her Department applies an economic test when determining whether costs are disproportionate to benefits for the purposes of assessing econo
Answer: The process of determining whether costs are disproportionate to benefits does itself amount to an economic test.
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBritish Business BankDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 11 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120045More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 112685, whether the British Business Bank has (a) invested in, (b) capitalised, or (c) supported through guarantees or co-investment any funds, sc
Answer: Yes. In each of these years, the British Business Bank has invested in, capitalised, and supported through guarantees or co-investment several funds, schemes and portfolio companies with the specified characteristics. This includes direct co-investment, i...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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