Richard Holden MP: written questions 2026
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Written questions
Driving Tests: Waiting ListsDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10737More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2026 to Question 5449 on Driving Tests, what the (a) mean and (b) modal waiting time was between the first booking of a practical car driving test and the test being taken in (
Answer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) cannot report a single modal waiting time as the distribution of waiting times was bi-modal. Therefore, the table below provides only the mean and median waiting times, between the first booking of a practica...
Answered 26 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRoad Works: InspectionsDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10736More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of utility works have been inspected each of the last three years by highways authorities; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of using digital inspection systems
Answer: The Department’s Street Manager digital service enables local authorities to record, monitor and co‑ordinate street works, including inspections. Use of this service is not mandatory for all types of works so the Department does not hold complete data on ...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRoad Works: CostsDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10735More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to local highway authorities and local taxpayers arising from defective utility reinstatement works in each of the last five years.
Answer: The Department does not collect data on the impact of utility works on highway condition or the associated maintenance costs for local authorities. Highway authorities have powers under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 to inspect works, require uti...
Answered 22 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRoadsDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10734More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of a nationally consistent road asset inventory for improving long-term maintenance and policy planning.
Answer: Local highway authorities manage a wide range of assets, including carriageways, footways, drainage, bridges, street lighting, traffic signals and road markings. They are responsible for managing their networks, including asset data and maintenance decisi...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10733More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the availability of comprehensive road condition data to support infrastructure investment decisions.
Answer: DfT worked with local authorities and the wider highways industry to develop the PAS 2161:2024 Road condition monitoring (RCM) data specification, which was published in September 2024, and is available online, at: https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Northern IrelandDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10732More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether officials in her Department have reviewed outcomes from the Northern Ireland road network intelligence programme to identify best practice for adoption elsewhere in the UK.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon Member to Question 10731, answered on 22 June.
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Northern IrelandDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10731More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the road and footway digital condition assessment and asset management programmes undertaken by counterparts in Northern Ireland.
Answer: The Department keeps developments in road maintenance and asset management under review and engages regularly with a wide range of stakeholders, including devolved administrations and industry partners, to share best practice and consider emerging approac...
Answered 22 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10730More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many potholes there are in England, how many were filled last year, and how she is performing against her commitment to fill one million additional potholes every year of this Parliament.
Answer: The Government is investing a record £7.3 billion over the next four years to support local highway authorities to maintain and improve their road networks. This significant increase in funding would enable authorities to fix millions of additional pothol...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordChildbirth: DatabasesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10241More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answers of 16 June to Questions 1233 and 1236, if he will take steps to make the recording of SNOMED codes mandatory across all births.
Answer: There are no current plans to make the recording of SNOMED codes mandatory across all births.
Answered 25 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDisinformationForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10240More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to counter misinformation being spread globally by a) Russia, b) Iran and c) Afghanistan; and whether she plans to take further such steps.
Answer: As set out in our response to the Foreign Affairs Committee's report published on 27 March, this Government recognises the seriousness of the threat posed by foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), including mis- and disinformation, to t...
Answered 22 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: AfghanistanForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10239More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what visits have taken place to Afghanistan by Ministers in her Department since 4 July 2024.
Answer: Details of ministers' overseas travel are published on a quarterly basis in the Department's transparency returns. No UK Government Ministers have travelled to Afghanistan during this period.
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordOwner OccupationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10238More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the proportion of people owning their own home by age group (a) now and (b) in each of the next 20 years.
Answer: My Department collects data on home ownership through the English Housing Survey, which is published annually and can be found on gov.uk here. Data on the demographic and economic characteristics, including age, can be found here. The English Housing Surv...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordStamp Duty Reserve TaxTreasuryTabled 16 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10237More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what modelling her Department has undertaken on the potential impact of abolishing Stamp Duty on share transactions on a) economic growth and b) net taxation revenues.
Answer: Stamp Taxes on Shares raised £4.7 billion in 2025/26; vital revenue to help fund key public services. There are multiple reliefs and exemptions built into the framework which are designed to boost liquidity and growth. While recognising the need for fisca...
Answered 22 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordWorkplace PensionsTreasuryTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10062More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of people who will be affected by the salary sacrifice cap on pension contributions of £2,000.
Answer: An estimate for the number of employees with salary sacrifice pension contributions above £2,000 was published in the Tax Information Impact Note published following Autumn Budget 2025: Salary sacrifice reform for pension contributions - GOV.UK
Answered 18 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordOppression: Hong KongHome OfficeTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10059More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of confidence among Hong Kongers in the United Kingdom in the Government's mechanisms for reporting and responding to incidents of transnational repression; and what steps
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of confidence in reporting mechanisms for transnational repression (TNR), including among Hong Kongers in the UK. Officials engaged with victims, community leaders, and civil society during the Defending Democracy ...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordHong Kong Economic and Trade OfficeForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10058More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether the privileges and immunities granted to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices under the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Act 19
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 May in response to Question 724.
Answered 18 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordJudges: Hong KongMinistry of JusticeTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10055More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will urge the withdrawal of all remaining UK judges from Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal.
Answer: No serving UK judges sit on the Hong Kong Court of Appeal. Two judges who previously sat in the UK are non-permanent judges of the Court. The Court publishes a list of non-permanent judges at: https://www.hkcfa.hk/en/about/who/judges/npjs/index.html.Retir...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordBusesDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 10012More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many buses are currently operating in England; how many and what proportion are fully electric; and how many and what proportion of those electric buses are manufactured by Yutong.
Answer: National Bus Statistics - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-bus-statistics-year-ending-march-2025/annual-bus-statistics-year-ending-march-2025#bus-fleet - provides information on the number of buses operating in England. DVLA registration da...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordActive Travel: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9975More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the costs to local transport authorities arising from the requirements and expectations contained in the Third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy; and whether those costs wi
Answer: The Government has projected over £4.5 billion of investment into active travel over the period of the Third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS3), the vast majority of which is available to local transport authorities to deliver walking, wheeli...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTour de France: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9950More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the £32 million of Government funding for the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grand Départs forms part of the projected £4.555 billion investment in active travel set out in the Third Cycl
Answer: It does not.
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordActive Travel: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9949More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Active Travel – Active England: the third cycling and walking investment strategy, published on 12 June 2026, how much of the projected £4.555 billion is
Answer: Table 1 in Active Travel – Active England: The Third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy details projected funding of £1.107 billion provided by the Department to Active Travel England. This includes more than £760 million devolved to local authoritie...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTransport: InnovationDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9937More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2026 to Question 7495, whether any transport projects approved by her Department since 5 July 2024 have utilised the proportionate and flexible approach to business case assess
Answer: I refer the Honourable Member to the answers given on:27th May 2026 to question 28014th April 2026 to question 544611th April 2026 to question 7495
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDriverless VehiclesDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9935More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that the regulatory regime for autonomous vehicles is underpinned by testing and assurance frameworks that are flexible enough to keep pace with rapid technological iteration.
Answer: The UK is taking a leading role at the United Nations Commission for Europe (UNECE) in the development of international vehicle regulations on automated vehicles. Through setting internationally harmonised requirements we are ensuring consistent safety re...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDefence: Artificial IntelligenceMinistry of DefenceTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9933More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what investments the Defence Artificial Intelligence Centre has made in the development or use of digital testing and simulation environments to accelerate development timelines for the deployment of autonomous v
Answer: The Defence Artificial Intelligence Centre (DAIC) plays a central role in enabling and coordinating AI adoption across Defence. While digital testing and simulation environments are an important part of developing autonomous systems, including autonomous ...
Answered 24 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordAirports: Active TravelDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 9932More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 May 2026 to Question 2131, if she will publish (a) the policy framework within which airports operate as at 4 July 2024 and (b) the current policy framework within which airports op
Answer: The 1999 Guidance on Airport Transport Forums and Airport Surface Access Strategies establishes a clear framework for airport operators and local stakeholders to collaborate on surface access planning. This partnership approach continues to work effective...
Answered 23 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
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