Richard Holden MP: written questions
2152 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Driving LicencesDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6275More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average processing time was for driving licence applications in (a) April 2026 and (b) May 2026.
Answer: The table below shows the average number of working days taken to process driving licence applications made both online and not online in April 2026 and May 2026 for both group 1 (cars and motorcycle) and group 2 (lorry and bus) applications. Group 1Grou...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6274More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which driving test centres were at 24 weeks wait times 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 recordMotor Vehicles: Manufacturing IndustriesCabinet OfficeTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6263More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the number of people who were employed in the automotive manufacturing sector in each month since December 2025 up to and including the most recent month for which figure
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Rt Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 2nd June is attached.
Answered 17 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: TrainingDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6256More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish a list of externally procured training programmes used by civil servants in her Department since 4 July 2024.
Answer: The information requested can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Answered 10 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordBuses: Electric VehiclesDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6244More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2026 to Question 2244, if she will publish the update issued to the Transport Select Committee on Friday 22 May 2026.
Answer: The Secretary of State’s letter to the Transport Select Committee has been published by the Committee and is available here: committees.parliament.uk/publications/53362/documents/298473/default/.
Answered 10 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordBus ServicesDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6209More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2026 to Question 1263, how many meetings she, ministers and officials in her Department have had with coach trade associations since 4 July 2024.
Answer: Ministers have met with coach trade associations on at least 14 occasions since July 2024 and discussed a range of bus and coach related issues.Department for Transport officials engage regularly with representatives from the bus and coach sector, includi...
Answered 10 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAviation: Environment ProtectionDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6205More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2026 to Question 2275, if she will provide a full breakdown of the up to £43 million funding allocated to green aviation projects by (a) project name, and (b) the specific amoun
Answer: On 20 January 2026 the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that up to £43m will be invested over a four- year period on research and development related to delivery of net zero aviation.From this funding DfT will provide up to £8m to projects through...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Routes: Public Service ObligationsDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6200More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 27 May 2026 to Question 2101, what her Department's policy is on the targeting of Public Service Obligations for domestic air routes; and what specific criteria are used to deter
Answer: This government is committed to ensuring that domestic aviation thrives. The Department for Transport guidance on Public Service Obligations (PSOs) sets out that air services can be supported where a clear public interest case can be made and where no via...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Excise DutiesDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6185More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency expects to conclude its review of whether information on over-the-counter vehicle excise duty payment options at Post Office branches should be included on the V11 v
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is carrying out customer research to understand the demand for the inclusion of information on over-the-counter vehicle excise duty payment options at Post Office branches on the V11 vehicle tax reminder. The...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordBus Services: FacilitiesDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6137More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2026 to Question 634, when her Department expects to have concluded development of statutory guidance on the safety and accessibility of stopping places, and when it expects tha
Answer: As set out in the Government’s vision for buses and approach to delivery available publicly on GOV.UK, we expect new statutory guidance on the safety and accessibility of stopping places to be published in winter 2026.
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAviation: Alternative FuelsDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6132More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has her Department allocated to the supply of SAF through the Advanced Fuels Fund since 4 July 2024.
Answer: Since 4 July 2024, the Department has allocated £63m to 17 UK SAF projects through the Advanced Fuels Fund.
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6055More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what was the average price increase in unregulated fares by individual TOC in 2026.
Answer: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publishes annual statistics on changes in rail fares, for both regulated and unregulated fares. The most recent data covers 2024-2025 and is available on the ORR website at https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/finance...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6054More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information he holds on which top 10 journeys had the largest ticket price in (a) cash terms and (b) percentage terms in each train operating company in 2026.
Answer: The Department does not centrally hold information identifying the ten rail journeys with the highest ticket prices, either in cash or percentage terms, for each train operating company in 2026. While detailed rail fares data exist within industry systems...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record10 Downing Street: CatsCabinet OfficeTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6053More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the cats resident in the Prime Minister’s Downing Street apartment are transported to/from Chequers for times when he is resident there.
Answer: This information is not held centrally. I’d remind the Rt. Hon Member for Basildon and Billericay that previous residents of Downing Street have frequently, and publicly, taken pets between residences.
Answered 16 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6052More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, to publish the total outturn spend on the THINK! road safety campaign for i.) 2023-24 ii.) 2024-25 and ii.) 2025-26.
Answer: The total spend on the THINK! road safety campaign for the years requested is as follows: 2023 – 24 outturn: £5,180,103.982024 – 25 outturn: £4,336,0572025 – 26 outturn: £3,884,389
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: FraudDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6048More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2026 to Question 481 on Roads: Safety, how many prosecutions of illegal driving instructors have taken place in (a) 2023, (b) 2024, (c) 2025 and (d) 2026 to the most recent date
Answer: The number of illegal driving instructor prosecutions in 2023 were three, in 2024 there were three prosecutions, in 2025 there were seven prosecutions and in 2026 (to date) there have been three. DVSA investigates reports, carries out targeted enforcement...
Answered 15 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRussia: ShippingForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 6047More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2026 to Question 1715, if she will make an estimate of the number of oil tankers required annually to transport Russian crude oil used in the
Answer: No such estimate is readily available, but as I said during our last session of departmental oral questions on 21 April, the collective sanctions action on a range of individuals and entities, across a wide range of economic sectors, taken by the UK and o...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Highways: ExpenditureDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5451More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much National Highways has spent on its in-house external affairs work since 4 July 2024.
Answer: National Highways spent approximately £1.9 million on its in-house external affairs function between 4 July 2024 and 31 May 2026. This reflects staff costs and associated contracts for the External Affairs team over that period.
Answered 12 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordHorizon IT System: Criminal InvestigationHome OfficeTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5450More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will ensure adequate funding for the police investigation into the Horizon IT System for sub-postmasters, including 93 year old Betty Brown.
Answer: The government is determined to ensure that justice is delivered as swiftly as possible. To date, the Home Office has provided over £6m of additional funding to support this investigation, including up to £2.8min 2026-27.
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: Waiting ListsDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5449More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time for a practical car driving test was in (a) April 2026 and (b) May 2026.
Answer: The table below shows the national average waiting time (based on the national average waiting time metric of when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available), and the national median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken)...
Answered 12 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5448More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will provide for each driving test centre in Great Britain the car practical driving test waiting time in weeks in May 2026.
Answer: The attached spreadsheet shows the average waiting time for car practical driving tests at each driving test centre (based on the national average waiting time metric of when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) for May 2026.The Driver and Vehicl...
Answered 17 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordOfficial CarsDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5447More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2026 to Question 1283 on Department for Transport: Official Cars, what assessment her Department has made of the compatibility of collecting anonymised data on the manufacturing
Answer: The Department has not made an assessment on the compatibility of collecting anonymised data on the manufacturing origin of its rental fleet.Our rental fleet data does include vehicle make and model but not where these were manufactured.
Answered 12 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTransport: InnovationDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2026 to Question 2801 on Transport: Innovation, how many projects have had their business case approvals process adapted to support innovative activity since 4 July 2024.
Answer: Departmental guidance allows for a proportionate and flexible approach to approvals, with innovative activity being one of a number of reasons such flexibilities are relevant in any given case. The recently published National Audit Office report Innovatio...
Answered 4 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: BuildingsCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5445More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2026 to Question 1226, when he plans to publish the State of the Estate report from 2026-27.
Answer: The State of the Estate report is published annually in accordance with section 86 of the Climate Change Act 2008. The report covering the 2026-27 financial year will be published by 1st June 2028, in line with the statutory reporting requirements set out...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British RailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5444More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 May 2026 to Question 2251 on Railways, what the intended date is for Great British Railways' day-one stand-up.
Answer: The Great British Railways (GBR) design process is underway. We expect to stand up GBR within 12 months of the Railways Bill receiving Royal Assent.
Answered 12 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
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