Richard Holden MP: written questions 2025
1652 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Jobcentres: Neurodiversity and Young PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82987More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what trials his Department is undertaking relating to the frequency of (a) appointments, (b) interventions and (c) workcoach support provided to (i) young people and (ii) people with neurodivergent cond
Answer: As referenced in the Get Britain Working White Paper the Universal Credit Conditionality Evidence (UCCE) Project is currently running two large, randomised control trials testing the impact of varying the frequency of interventions, and the channel for pr...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMidland Main Line: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82994More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on resolving clearance issues at Marle Pit on the Midland Main Line.
Answer: Following the decision to pause further electrification of the Midland Main Line, the department has been in discussion with Network Rail regarding their plans to conclude their current activities in a safe and controlled way. This has included a review o...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordChannel Tunnel: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82996More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has received updated cost estimates for Channel Tunnel container gauge clearance.
Answer: I am aware of industry proposals to enhance Kent routes to ‘W12’, in order to enable more containerised traffic from Europe, which was estimated by Network Rail to cost around £200m. Network Rail has been considering more affordable, incremental gauge cle...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: CambridgeshireDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82995More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to decide whether her Department will progress the Ely Area Capacity Enhancements scheme to the next development stage.
Answer: Secretary of State set out the schemes that have been prioritised for the Spending Review period in her 8 July announcement and made clear that other schemes would be kept under review as part of our pipeline for potential progression in future as funding...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: EssexDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82990More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of electrifying the branch between London Gateway and Thames Haven Junction on (a) the efficiency, (b) the reliability and (c) the reduction in emissions of
Answer: Initial assessments do indicate that electrifying the branch between London Gateway and Thames Haven Junction would improve the efficiency and reliability of rail freight while reducing emissions. We will continue to work closely with Network Rail and oth...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FreightDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82993More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve rail freight access between PD Teesport and London Gateway.
Answer: Network Rail have taken steps to increase port connectivity by increasing the number of paths from both Teesport and London Gateway. Collaborative working between Network Rail, DP World and freight operators has led to capacity out of London Gateway more ...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FreightDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82991More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to reintroduce development funding for rail freight enhancement schemes (a) paused and (b) cancelled after the Comprehensive Spending Review 2025.
Answer: No rail schemes were cancelled as a part of Spending Review 2025 but we had to prioritise the schemes that would have the greatest impact in supporting our missions in the shortest period, whilst maintaining an affordable and sustainable enhancements port...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FreightDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82992More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of freight capacity of (a) the Ely Area Capacity Enhancements, (b) the Northallerton–Eaglescliffe Gauge Clearance and (c) other schemes identified in Network
Answer: The Department has previously approved initial progression of development work with Network Rail on a) Ely Area Capacity and b) Northallerton-Eaglescliffe Gauge Clearance schemes, both of which identified potential for increasing the capacity for freight ...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant SchemeDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82998More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department has identified any (a) underspends, (b) extensions and (c) project delays in the delivery of funding under the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Fund.
Answer: Through the HGV parking and driver welfare grant scheme the Department and industry partners are projected to deliver up to £35.7m of joint investment to enhance truck stops across England. This significant investment is in addition to joint investment by...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant SchemeDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82751More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding from the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Fund was contractually committed to specific projects as of 1 October 2025.
Answer: The total amount of funding contractually committed to improvement projects for the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme, as of 1st October, is £13,849,303.45. The scheme held three windows (each open approximately 8 weeks) for which the financial bre...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant SchemeDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82750More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has spent through the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Fund in each year since 2021.
Answer: The total amount of funding contractually committed to improvement projects for the HGV Parking Matched Funding Grant Scheme, as of 1st October, is £13,849,303.45. The scheme held three windows (each open approximately 8 weeks) for which the financial bre...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHeathrow Airport: ConstructionDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82749More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department undertook a value-for-money assessment under HM Treasury Green Book guidance before announcing its support for the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
Answer: A Treasury Green Book Value for Money assessment is a process and judgement about the optimal use of public resources to achieve the stated objectives of a project. We have been clear throughout that any expansion of Heathrow Airport should be funded enti...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FreightDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82748More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has set targets for growth in rail freight volumes between 2025 and 2030.
Answer: The Government is committed to supporting rail freight growth, recognising its significant economic and environmental benefits, as well as the role it plays in the UK’s resilience. We have confirmed that there will be an overall target of a 75% increase i...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has set a maximum proportion of devolved transport funds that may be used for (a) programme management and (b) administration costs in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answer: For the financial year 2025/26, the Department secured and allocated a City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) revenue resource funding (RDEL) uplift of £93 million for the nine recipient Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs), which was confi...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82746More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms her Department uses to ensure consistency in (a) data reporting and (b) financial control between Great British Railways and devolved transport bodies.
Answer: The creation of Great British Railways (GBR) will bring about changes in the way that rail services are managed, and in the way rail operates as a whole. In its role as the ‘directing mind’, GBR will integrate track and train at a local level to better de...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: FreightDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82745More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of road user charges on haulage sector costs since July 2024.
Answer: The Department engages with the road haulage industry regularly about issues faced by the sector, including cost pressures.
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82744More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the changes made to national road maintenance capital allocations at the 2025 Spending Review on local highway maintenance performance in
Answer: At the Spending Review, the Government announced £24 billion of capital funding between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve our motorways and local roads across the country. This funding increase will allow National Highways and local authorities ...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82743More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any mayoral combined authorities have requested flexibility in the use of devolved transport funds allocated through the 2025 Spending Review.
Answer: As City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) and Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlements funding is devolved, the programme already affords Mayoral Combined Authorities (MSAs) flexibility in the use of funds to support local needs and str...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82742More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria her Department uses to assess the value for money of devolved transport funding allocations to mayoral combined authorities.
Answer: Mayoral Combined Authorities (MSAs) in receipt of devolved City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) and Transport for City Regions (TCR) settlements are required to assess the value for money of schemes against Green Book guidance as part of ...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82741More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release entitled Biggest ever investment in city region local transport as Chancellor vows the 'Renewal of Britain', published on 4 June 2025, how much and what proportion of the fun
Answer: Allocations for each Mayoral Strategic Authority were confirmed in June and published on gov.uk. online.
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: GrantsDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82740More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the electric vehicle grant on employment in the automotive manufacturing sector.
Answer: The Electric Car Grant supports sustainably manufactured electric vehicles, which the UK automotive sector is well placed to benefit from. The Government is supporting domestic manufacturers, which directly employ 132,000 people, to transition to zero emi...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: GrantsDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82739More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of vehicles subsidised through the Electric Vehicle Grant Scheme were manufactured outside the United Kingdom in 2025–26.
Answer: The Department is unable to confirm the proportion of vehicles supported by Electric Car Grant that were manufactured outside the United Kingdom as the 2025/26 sales year is ongoing and grants are only paid following the vehicle’s delivery to the customer...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordTrain Operating Companies: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82738More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has set limits on financial support for rail operating losses under Great British Railways.
Answer: As per the GBR consultation document, government funding for rail service provision will continue to be determined via Spending Reviews.
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordTrain Operating Companies: NationalisationDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82737More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of private operator exit arrangements during the transition to Great British Railways.
Answer: The process to close National Rail Contracts is set out in the contract themselves which are published on the gov.uk website. The process ensures value for money for the taxpayer is protected from the outgoing operator as the balance sheets are unwound an...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: PayDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 82736More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many senior executive roles at Great British Railways have been appointed at salaries exceeding £150,000 per annum.
Answer: No senior executive appointments have been made to Great British Railways, as it does not exist yet.
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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