Richard Holden MP: written questions 2026
1407 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Roads: 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 recordGreater Anglia: TicketsDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5443More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress Greater Anglia has made on (a) expanding its pay-as-you-go ticketing system in 2026 and (b) delivering the extra projected 11 million additional journeys of which three million were designated to
Answer: On Sunday 8th March 2026, Pay As You Go (PAYG) with contactless went live at 20 stations at Greater Anglia stations including Stansted Airport. In the four weeks ending 30 May 2026, these additional 20 stations generated around 200,000 taps, this is a 15 ...
Answered 12 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSouth Western RailwayDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5442More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps South Western Railways have taken to complete planned infrastructure upgrades including West of England line resilience works, London Waterloo-Clapham Junction and Fareham-Havant and Portsmouth Harbo
Answer: South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex are delivering a coordinated programme of works by March 2027. This includes track improvements in Portsmouth as well as the strengthening of Portcreek Viaduct, and commencement of the £120 million Havant resi...
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordLondon, Tilbury and Southend Line: Rolling StockDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 5441More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Class 357 trains c2c has upgraded since 17 December 2025; and whether the full fleet upgrade will be completed by December 2026.
Answer: A total of 20 trains (80 vehicles) have been painted to date since the 17 December 2025. The current programme is scheduled to conclude in December 2026, with 26 trains (104 vehicles) still outstanding.
Answered 12 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4297More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test centres for (a) car practical driving tests, (b) motorcycle tests, (c) bus tests, (d) HGV tests and (e) test for other vehicle types were there in Great Britain on (i) 4 July 2024 and (ii)
Answer: The table below shows how many driving test centres (DTC) conduct car practical driving tests, motorcycle tests, vocational and Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) tests in Great Britain. This data is available monthly at the beginn...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric VehiclesDepartment for TransportTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4292More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations she has received on bringing forward the scheduled review of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate since 4 July 2024; and whether her Department has assessed the potential merits of reviewing i
Answer: The Government keeps the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate under continual review to ensure it remains effective. We have a long-standing commitment to publish a formal review of the ZEV Mandate by early 2027. We are beginning discussions to inform the ...
Answered 4 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4291More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an estimate of the (a) total annual cost to businesses of administering and complying with the proposed electric Vehicle Excise Duty scheme and (b) the ratio of this figure to the exp
Answer: The Government announced at Budget 2025 that electric Vehicle Excise Duty will be introduced from April 2028 to ensure all motorists continue to make a fair contribution to road usage, as fuel duty receipts decline during the transition to electric vehicl...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: VacanciesDepartment for TransportTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4290More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving examiner vacancies were there in (a) March, (b) April and (c) May 2026.
Answer: As stated in the answer to Question 121903 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) does not centrally hold a snapshot of the total number of driving examiner vacancies by calendar month but continually reviews its workforce requirements in response...
Answered 5 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordNorthern: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4289More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress Northern Trains Limited has made on increasing the level of Assisted Travel Support through a dedicated team since the publication of its service targets on 17 December 2025; and what steps are be
Answer: Through its Passenger Assistance Improvement Programme, Northern Trains has increased the level of ‘All assistance received’ from 76.4 per cent to 84.4 per cent between January and April 2026 (period 11 – period 1), and satisfaction with assistance has im...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSoutheastern: TicketsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4288More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Southeastern operated stations had pay as you go facilities in (a) 2025 and (b) 2026 to date; and whether he expects Southeastern to achieve full pay as you go network coverage by 2027.
Answer: At Southeastern stations, there is a combination of both Oyster and Pay As You Go (PAYG) with contactless enablement. In both 2025 and 2026, 69 stations were enabled for use with PAYG tickets. We are working with industry to consider any further expansion...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordSoutheastern: Rolling StockDepartment for TransportTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4287More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will set out the new rolling stock procured by Southeastern since 17 December 2025.
Answer: There has been no new rolling stock procured by Southeastern since 17 December 2025. As the Rt Hon Member is aware from previous correspondence, Southeastern is currently engaged in a live rolling stock procurement process. However, this has not yet concl...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordTransPennine Express: Catering and WiFiDepartment for TransportTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4286More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent funding has been allocated to improve the level of onboard WiFi and catering on TransPennine Express trains.
Answer: Following the Spending Review, the Department was successful in securing funding to put low earth orbit satellite connectivity on our mainline trains to significantly improve the on train wifi for passengers. Part of this funding will be made available to...
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Official CarsCabinet OfficeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4285More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the answer of 4 February 2026, to Question 109542, on Ministers: Official Cars, if he will set out how his Department's finance team invoices expenditure for cars used by Cabinet Office (a) Min
Answer: The Government Car Service (GCS) offers vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Each department independently determines the allocation of these vehicles. GCS does not invoice separately for Ministerial or civil servant use.
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordMilitary Aircraft: MinistersCabinet OfficeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4284More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 6 March 2026 to Question 116220 on Military Aircraft: Ministers, how many individual trips his Department has organised for Ministerial travel by helicopter since July 2024.
Answer: Helicopter travel has been commissioned under the Cabinet Office Central Travel Contract for Ministerial travel on one occasion since July 2024. Routine helicopter journeys for Ministers are no longer carried out under this Government.
Answered 8 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordMinisters: Official CarsCabinet OfficeTabled 29 May 2026AnsweredUIN 4283More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 54801 on Ministers: Official Cars, whether there is internal guidance separate to that linked to.
Answer: Any internal guidance regarding use of the Ministerial vehicles would be issued by the individual department. The only guidance referred to by the Government Car Service is that contained within the Ministerial Code.
Answered 9 Jun 2026
Original Parliament record
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