Richard Holden MP: written questions 2025
1652 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Company Cars: TaxationTreasuryTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85347More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to benefit in kind taxation for vehicles provided through Employee Car Ownership Schemes on retired scheme participants; and if she
Answer: At Autumn Budget 2024 the Government announced plans to change the legislation around Employee Car Ownership Schemes (ECOS), to prevent them being used by employers to circumvent the employee company car tax (CCT) liability and the employer NICs liability...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLondon, Tilbury and Southend Line: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85346More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78728 London, Tilbury and Southend Line: Standards, what performance targets her Department has agreed with c2c on (a) service reliability and (b) the permi
Answer: Under the Services Agreement, c2c is required to publish actual performance against agreed targets on its website. This includes both punctuality (T-3) and cancellations (Stations Cancellations). c2c is currently working with its website supplier to have ...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: Alternative FuelsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85345More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will list the (a) oil refineries and (b) fuel producers which (i) manufacture sustainable aviation fuel and (ii) are developing (A) second-generation and (B) advanced sustainable aviation fuel facilities
Answer: The only commercial scale SAF producer in the UK is P66’s Humberside Refinery. There are a wide range of SAF projects across the UK using different technologies and at different stages of development. However, much of the information on the development o...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85344More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that passenger (a) fare data and (b) service performance from operators outside the Office of Rail and Road’s are independently verified.
Answer: The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the official source of most rail fare data and service performance statistics. ORR does not publish statistics in respect of light rail/tramways, heritage railways, London Underground and Eurostar (although ORR receive...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85343More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways or the Office of Rail and Road will be responsible for (a) granting and (b) monitoring open access rail applications under the new rail structure.
Answer: The Government has consulted on establishing GBR as a new directing mind for the railway, able to take access and charging decisions in the public interest in a framework based in primary legislation. As set in the consultation, new statutory duties will ...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85342More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate she has made of the total cost to taxpayers of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate compliance system; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that system on (a) emissions
Answer: The societal and carbon impacts of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate were summarised within the cost benefit analysis published in October 2023.
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 85341More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of conventional (a) pothole repair and (b) resurfacing techniques on levels of carbon emissions.
Answer: The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is determined to support local highway authorities in adopting new and innovative technologies to maintain and improve their highway networks in a way that is cost effective and reduces ...
Answered 4 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordPupils: AbsenteeismDepartment for EducationTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84758More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the reforms to penalty notices for unauthorised school absences made in August 2024 on levels of unauthorised absence; and whether she plans to
Answer: Tackling absence is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Thanks to the efforts of schools and local authorities, attendance is moving in the right direction. Children attended over 5.3 million additional days in the 2...
Answered 11 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: ResearchDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84704More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on establishing a cross-government mechanism to support UK participation in international research partnerships
Answer: My Department remains committed to supporting international research, for example, through encouraging UK participation in Horizon Europe, and as an active participant in the International Transport Forum, including supporting research projects on decarbo...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: ResearchDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84703More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase opportunities for UK-US research in transport innovation by (a) the NSF–UKRI Lead Agency Opportunity and (b) other research and development programmes.
Answer: The Department continues to maintain close relationships with the US on transport innovation. We welcome bids by UK academics to the NSF-UKRI Lead Agency Opportunity and are happy to offer letters of support to suitable proposals.
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordLondon Underground: StrikesDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84702More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77643 on London Underground: Strikes, on what date that meeting took place.
Answer: The meeting took place on 11 September 2025.
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: AccidentsDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84701More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) road deaths, (b) serious injuries and (c) roadside drug-driving tests were recorded in each year since 2020.
Answer: The number of deaths and serious injuries in reported road collisions are published as part of the Department's annual road casualty statistics on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics).Statistics on roadsi...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRoad Traffic Control: OxfordDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84700More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2025 to Question 77640 on Road Traffic Control: Oxford, how much income the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has received from Oxfordshire County Council for sharing vehi
Answer: The information requested is not available because the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not record data at this level of detail.
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: TicketsDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84699More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78714 on Railways: Tickets, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the number of participants in the Digital Pay As You Go trials in eva
Answer: We want to ensure the evaluation of the trials is as robust as possible, while remaining proportionate to the scale of the scheme. The 1,000 participants per trial will allow the Department to gain valuable insights into how passengers engage with this te...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78696 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, whether her Department has set a timetable for the completion of the installation of those chargepoints.
Answer: Local authorities are at different stages with their Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) projects and chargepoint deployment more widely. The first LEVI projects have now signed contracts and some are starting to install chargepoints. Local autho...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Rail passengers in the North to benefit from simpler fares and cheaper tickets thanks to public ownership, published on 24 July 2025, which (a) fares an
Answer: GBR will be empowered to deliver industry-wide modernisation and reform of the complex and fragmented fares landscape inherited from privatisation. This will enable GBR to simplify the ticketing system and make it easy for passengers to find the right far...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordShipping: InvestmentDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84696More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78703 on Shipping: Investment, what proportion of that £448 million will be spent in coastal (a) towns and (b) cities; and what steps she is taking to ensur
Answer: The £448 million funding will primarily be allocated through open competitions rather than direct grants to select coastal towns or cities. The competitions are designed to support maritime businesses including those in the UK’s coastal communities. Detai...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84695More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78712 on Bus Services: Fares, what (a) modelling, (b) internal estimates, (c) tables and (d) equations her Department holds on the number of bus journeys fo
Answer: On 1 January, the Government introduced a £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London throughout 2025 to prevent a cliff-edge fare hike for passengers. This was initially funded by over £150 million allocated in the Autumn 2024 Budget, and the es...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBiofuels: ImportsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84694More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the UK–US trade deal on bioethanol imports on the UK’s sustainable aviation fuel sector.
Answer: As part of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal, the UK created a preferential duty-free quota for imports of US ethanol of 1.4bn litres per year. The UK already imports a significant amount of ethanol from the US. DBT officials continue to work closely wit...
Answered 3 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: VATTreasuryTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84693More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65386 on VAT Treatment of Private Hire Vehicles, if she will publish the Government’s response to the consultation referred to in that Answer.
Answer: The Government continues to take the issue of VAT treatment of private hire vehicle services seriously and recognises the importance of clarity to the sector. The Government will therefore publish a response to the consultation on the VAT treatment of pri...
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84692More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent on (a) consultancy, (b) pilot, (c) communications, (d) branding and (e) marketing activity linked to net zero transition programmes in the commercial vehicle sector; how many (
Answer: Existing public communication activity for zero emission vehicles has not incurred any additional costs to the Department for Transport (DfT) and has been delivered by internal DfT staff as part of existing communications roles. Any other paid public comm...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84691More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the total compliance cost to small and medium-sized (a) logistics and (b) coach businesses of meeting zero emission vehicle mandate requirements.
Answer: The Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and its compliance requirements apply only to manufacturers of new cars and vans, not to logistics or coach businesses, but we recognise the importance of supporting businesses across the economy as they transition to zer...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84690More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much and what proportion of Government road maintenance funding has been allocated to (a) local and (b) non-strategic roads compared with the strategic road network since 2024; and what assessment she has m
Answer: In respect of local and non-strategic roads, the Department has allocated approximately £5.2 billion for local highways maintenance in England over the period 2023/24 to 2025/26. This comes from a wide range of sources including the Highways Maintenance B...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84689More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the (a) potential cost and (b) carbon savings achieved through using (i) recycled materials, (ii) graphene additives,(iii) Elastomac and (iv) other innovative road repair technolog
Answer: The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is determined to support local highway authorities in adopting new and innovative technologies to maintain and improve their highway networks in a way that is cost effective and reduces ...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 23 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 84688More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of (i) Roadmender technology and (ii) other advanced pothole repair systems.
Answer: The Government takes the condition of local roads very seriously and is determined to support local highway authorities in adopting new and innovative technologies to maintain and improve their highway networks.This year, the Government made available an ...
Answered 31 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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