Richard Holden MP: written questions
2152 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Railways: East of EnglandDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7223More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much (a) in cash terms and (b) in real terms has her Department and its arms length bodies spent on developing plans and business cases for Ely and Horley Junctions.
Answer: The previous government cancelled work on the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) and Haughley Junction upgrade at Spending Review 2021. Prior to this cancellation, the previous government provided funding to Network Rail of £16.3m to complete an Outline...
Answered 10 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRailway Stations: Nitrogen DioxideDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7215More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total projected cost to the public purse is for Network Rail to develop and deliver Air Quality Improvement Plans (AQIPs) across all managed stations with nitrogen dioxide levels of 40µg/m³ or more by
Answer: The development and delivery of Air Quality Improvement Plans (AQIPs) across Network Rail’s managed stations cannot be assigned a single total projected cost to 2030. This is because the measures required vary significantly by location and over time. Stat...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordNetwork Rail: BiodiversityDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7211More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total estimated cost is for Network Rail to compile, complete, and implement Habitat Management Plans (HMPs) across 25 per cent of its network by March 2029; and what proportion of this cost is project
Answer: Network Rail has completed habitat management plans for almost 80 per cent of the network by area. These documents have been produced using in-house resource as well as utilising external expertise such as with the consultancy arm of the Wildlife Trusts. ...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordNetwork Rail: ProcurementDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7205More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of Network Rail's progress towards its target to create £1 of social value for every £2 of supplier spend for all renewals and enhancements by the end of March 2029; and what the to
Answer: During financial year 2025-2026, Network Rail established over 400 projects within the Rail Social Value Tool (RSVT) to monitor the social value generated, including both internal delivery and enhancement and renewals projects. Network Rail is currently r...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDriverless VehiclesDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7203More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment framework will be provided to local transport authorities, such as Transport for London, to assist them in determining whether to grant local consent for autonomous vehicle pilots in their areas
Answer: To support the Automated Passenger Services permitting scheme, my department published non-statutory guidance in March 2026 to help consenting authorities, which may be a local authority or local transport body, to understand their role in the consenting ...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: TrainingDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7173More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the quarterly milestones are for completing the automatic train operation training programme by December 2026; and what specific performance metrics will be used to assess its impact on punctuality and del
Answer: Automatic Train Operation (ATO) driver training on Thameslink has increased from around 70 per cent at the start of 2026 to approximately 80 per cent by the end of May, which will mean 82–84 per cent coverage expected by July.Greater Thameslink Railway’s ...
Answered 22 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordThameslink Line: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7172More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by what date the deployment of the full cohort of 110 Travel Safe Officers on Thameslink services will be completed; and how these officers will be allocated across the network to maximize passenger safety.
Answer: The deployment of an enhanced team of 110 Travel Safe Officers on Thameslink services has now been completed. Travel Safe Officers are deployed across the network in a targeted, flexible, and data-led way. Their allocation is informed by intelligence and ...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Development Consent OrdersDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7171More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many National Highways schemes with an extant Development Consent Order have been cancelled since 5 July 2024; and what estimate she has made of the total public expenditure incurred on each of those scheme
Answer: Since 5 July 2024, four road schemes with an extant Development Consent Order have been cancelled on affordability and/or value-for-money grounds. Figures for the A303 Stonehenge Tunnel and A1 Morpeth to Ellingham dualling were published in the National H...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRolling Stock: SecurityDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 7170More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent risk assessments her Department has undertaken on the security of rolling stock driver cabs and crew compartments on the national rail network.
Answer: Train operating companies have a duty to keep their staff and the travelling public safe, and are responsible for conducting risk assessments in relation to their assets and for ensuring the security of their rolling stock. This includes ensuring driver c...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: StaffDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6817More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many full-time equivalent members of DBT staff were working (a) in and (b) on each country on behalf of the UK as of (i) 4 July 2024 and (ii) June 2026.
Answer: The table shows the number of FTE DBT staff working in, and on behalf of the UK in each region as of July 2024 and April 2026. April 2026 is the latest available data point; data for June 2026 are not available. The available data are held at regional le...
Answered 11 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordFerries and Freight: Northern IrelandDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6816More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of recent changes in marine fuel costs on the inclusion of ferry and freight operators serving Northern Ireland routes within the UK Emissi
Answer: We actively monitor changes in marine fuel costs and wider market conditions. The UK ETS is designed to support cost-effective decarbonisation, and operators retain flexibility in how they meet compliance obligations, including operational efficiency and ...
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordChris GibbDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6815More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 2 June 2026 to Question 3823 on Chris Gibb, whether officials in her Department played in a role in the termination of Chris Gibb's appointment.
Answer: It was the DFT Operator Chair, Sir Andrew Haines, who decided to terminate Chris Gibb’s appointment. The Chair notified Department for Transport officials, as is usual.
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6814More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2026 to Question 3445, whether the updated 2024 strategy target is measured in (a) devices and (b) EV chargers; and what the net change in that metric was between May 2025 and M
Answer: An estimate of potential future demand for charge points was originally published in 2022 in Taking Charge: the National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This estimate was updated in 2024 to a r...
Answered 10 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6813More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the updated 2024 target for public electric vehicle charging devices, what average monthly net increase in public charging devices is required from June 2026 onwards to reach the (a) lower bou
Answer: An estimate of potential future demand for charge points was originally published in 2022 in Taking Charge: the National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This estimate was updated in 2024 to a r...
Answered 10 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6812More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many of the charge points allocated through the Local EV Infrastructure Fund are (a) operational and open to the public, (b) installed but awaiting grid connection and (c) allocated but not yet installed.
Answer: The Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund is expected to support at least 100,000 chargers across England, building on over 120,000 public chargers already installed across the UK. As of 26 May 2026, 61 out of 81 local authority LEVI projects have been appr...
Answered 10 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordFisheriesDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6811More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 June 2026 to Question 3118, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency not tracking correspondence response times on the fi
Answer: It should be noted that fishing licencing does not fall under the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s remit. This is covered by Defra and the Marine Management Organisation. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency deals with fishing safety.The MCA's Key Performan...
Answered 18 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAviation: Alternative FuelsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6810More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 June 2026 to Question 2802 on the Advanced Fuels Fund, what the planned financial allocation is for the new funding scheme to support UK sustainable aviation fuel production; and wha
Answer: The Spending Review 2025 has extended support for UK SAF production through to 2029/30 and details of this funding, including a breakdown of financial allocations, will be announced in the coming months.
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordConsumers: Dispute ResolutionDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6809More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential (i) merits of requiring established consumer arbitration schemes to be (a) free and (b) subject only to nominal consumer fees and potential (ii) of that on
Answer: The intention of the fee structure is to ensure fees are set at levels commensurate, over a reasonable course of time, with the costs of CTSI performing the relevant ADR functions to the standard required, that these are predictable for ADR providers and ...
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordConsumers: Dispute ResolutionDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6808More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether CTSI has discretion to (a) reduce, (b) waive and (c) scale accreditation and periodic fees for (i) small, (ii) low-volume and (iii) scheme-specific ADR providers.
Answer: The intention of the fee structure is to ensure fees are set at levels commensurate, over a reasonable course of time, with the costs of CTSI performing the relevant ADR functions to the standard required, that these are predictable for ADR providers and ...
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordConsumers: Dispute ResolutionDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6807More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the risk that ADR accreditation requirements may lead (a) small and (b) specialist providers to withdraw from the consumer ADR market.
Answer: The intention of the fee structure is to ensure fees are set at levels commensurate, over a reasonable course of time, with the costs of CTSI performing the relevant ADR functions to the standard required, that these are predictable for ADR providers and ...
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordConsumers: Dispute ResolutionDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6806More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the fee structure for ADR accreditation under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 on small and specialist ADR providers handli
Answer: The intention of the fee structure is to ensure fees are set at levels commensurate, over a reasonable course of time, with the costs of CTSI performing the relevant ADR functions to the standard required, that these are predictable for ADR providers and ...
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: DisabilityDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6805More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's research report titled Disabled people’s experiences of rail: qualitative research findings, published on 29 May 2025, how much funding her Department allocated to Verian to c
Answer: The Department for Transport’s research report titled ‘Disabled people’s experiences of rail: qualitative research findings’ cost £102,000 and was commissioned to update the evidence base on disabled people’s experiences of rail which directly informs acc...
Answered 26 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTrain Operating Companies: Finance and StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6804More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) Notices to Improve and (b) written instructions her Department issued to train operating companies for which the Department is the operator in relation to (i) service performance and (ii) financial
Answer: The Department has not issued any Notices to Improve on any of the DfT Operator train operating companies in January 2026 and in each subsequent month because none have been in breach of their formal contractual terms. The DfT regularly engages with all o...
Answered 12 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Bicycles: InsuranceDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6278More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2026 to Question 3124, whether she plans to commission an assessment of the cost of insurance premiums for e-cargo bikes in the urban freight sector; and what steps her Departme
Answer: There are no plans to commission such an assessment. The department continues to engage stakeholders and consider our approach to potential barriers to the adoption of zero emission commercial vehicles.
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6277More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the failure-to-attend rate for practical car driving tests was in (a) April 2026 and (b) May 2026.
Answer: The table below shows failure-to-attends (FTA) as a percentage of the total number of bookings for April and May 2026. Month% FTAApril2.7May3.0 The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) monitors failure-to-attend rates and consider potential causes o...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
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