Richard Holden MP: written questions 2025
1652 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Motor Vehicles: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 9 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76049More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2025 to Question 71209 on Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties, if she will make an estimate of the amount of tax that will be raised from Double Cab Pick Up vehicles being taxed as ca
Answer: The estimated amount of tax that will be raised from double cab pick-up vehicles being treated as cars has been estimated as follows: 2025-262026-272027-282028-292029-30Exchequer Impact (£m)140235270280285As with most tax measures in the Budget the main u...
Answered 19 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTrain Operating Companies: Conditions of Employment and Trade UnionsDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76048More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September to Question 71269 on Train Operating Companies: Conditions of Employment and Trade Unions, whether this information is held by DfT Operator Limited.
Answer: DFTO currently has oversight of six Train Operating Companies (TOCs). The TOCs are subsidiaries of DFTO and trade union agreements are negotiated, held and managed at the subsidiary level rather than by DFTO itself. Similarly operating practices on emplo...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordInfant Foods: RegulationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75688More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the BBC Panorama programme The Truth About Baby Food Pouches; and if he will make an assessment of th
Answer: Children’s early years provide an important foundation for their future health and strongly influence many aspects of wellbeing in later life.The BBC Panorama programme highlighted issues with levels of sugar and misleading labelling and nutrition claims ...
Answered 6 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFly-tipping: ForestsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75164More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps (a) his Department and (b) Natural England are taking to help tackle large-scale illegal waste dumping in ancient woodlands; and if he will review the adequacy of enforcemen
Answer: In the first instance, landowners are responsible for the security and integrity of their property. The ownership of such woodland can often be complex and split across hundreds of individual parcels. The Environment Agency (EA) is the lead authority for ...
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74941More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's press releases entitled (a) London to Essex c2c services return to public control in step towards Great British Railways, published on 18 July 2025 and (b) New dawn for rail a
Answer: The standards will be set out in due course.
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74536More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a licensing authority taking an extended period of time to accept or reject a private hire vehicle licence application.
Answer: The Department for Transport’s best practice guidance to licensing authorities in England is clear that all authorities should consider how best to deliver the statutory function of taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. Providing an efficient licensing...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74535More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the level of variation in the time taken to complete private hire vehicle licence applications across local authorities in England.
Answer: The Department for Transport’s best practice guidance to licensing authorities in England is clear that all authorities should consider how best to deliver the statutory function of taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. Providing an efficient licensing...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: VATTreasuryTabled 2 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74450More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department produced an impact assessment prior to the Supreme Court judgment in DELTA Merseyside Ltd v Uber Britannia Ltd on the application of VAT to private hire vehicle journeys.
Answer: The Government continues to take this complex issue very seriously and recognises businesses’ need for certainty. The Government is carefully considering the wide range of views shared through last year's consultation on the VAT Treatment of Private Hir...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: VATTreasuryTabled 2 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74447More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to publish a response to her Department's consultation entitled Consultation on the VAT Treatment of Private Hire Vehicles, which closed on 8 August 2024.
Answer: The Government continues to take this complex issue very seriously and recognises businesses’ need for certainty. The Government is carefully considering the wide range of views shared through last year's consultation on the VAT Treatment of Private Hir...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: VATTreasuryTabled 2 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74446More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's consultation entitled Consultation on the VAT Treatment of Private Hire Vehicles, which closed on 8 August 2024, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of
Answer: The Government continues to take this complex issue very seriously and recognises businesses’ need for certainty. The Government is carefully considering the wide range of views shared through last year's consultation on the VAT Treatment of Private Hir...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: VATTreasuryTabled 2 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74444More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to impose VAT at 20% on all private hire fares.
Answer: The Government continues to take this complex issue very seriously and recognises businesses’ need for certainty. The Government is carefully considering the wide range of views shared through last year's consultation on the VAT Treatment of Private Hir...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren: DeathCabinet OfficeTabled 2 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74239More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many child deaths were recorded where parental consanguinity was (a) identified and (b) not identified in England in each year since 2019.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 2nd September is attached.
Answered 7 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPregnancy: ScreeningDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74238More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the availability of ultrasound scans to pregnant women who (a) report reduced foetal movement before 28 weeks’ gestation and (b) present on more th
Answer: The Department has not made a recent assessment of the availability of ultrasound scans to pregnant women who report reduced foetal movement before 28 weeks’ gestation and present on more than one occasion after 24 weeks' gestation. Pregnant women are adv...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Licences: Older PeopleDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74236More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to improve transparency in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s decision-making process for over-70s driving licence renewals; and what weightings are given to recent eyesight tests
Answer: Information about renewing a driving licence at the age of 70 and over and eyesight tests for driver licensing is available online at:https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-ruleshttps://www.gov.uk/eye-conditions-and-drivingRenew your driving licence if you'r...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPalestinian AuthorityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74029More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK and Palestinian strategic cooperation: memorandum of understanding, published on 28 April 2025, whether he has made an assessme
Answer: We are clear that a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) is essential to long-term stability in the region and making progress towards a two-state solution, which is why alongside our international partners, we welcomed the PA's commitment to deliver its a...
Answered 17 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPalestinian AuthorityForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74028More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK and Palestinian strategic cooperation: memorandum of understanding, published on 28 April 2025, what recent assessment he has m
Answer: We are clear that a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA) is essential to long-term stability in the region and making progress towards a two-state solution, which is why alongside our international partners, we welcomed the PA's commitment to deliver its a...
Answered 17 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 74024More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she could publish a breakdown of the Government's £4.5 billion spend on the transition to electric vehicles by (a) scheme and (b) year.
Answer: The Government is investing over £4.5 billion to help industry and consumers transition to zero emission vehicles. Following the Spending Review, the Government committed £1.8 billion in investment to decarbonise road transport from 2026-27 to 2029-30. T...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: UpratingTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71277More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure HMRC tax calculations accurately reflect the period in which state pension upratings apply; and whether HMRC has a planned date for resolving this issue.
Answer: The Government is committed to making sure older people can live with the dignity and respect they deserve in retirement. The State Pension is the foundation of the support available to them. Over the course of this Parliament, the yearly amount of the fu...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordState Retirement Pensions: UpratingTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71276More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of state pensioners that have had their taxable pension income miscalculated due to HMRC applying 52 weeks of the uprated rate rather than accounting for the
Answer: The Government is committed to making sure older people can live with the dignity and respect they deserve in retirement. The State Pension is the foundation of the support available to them. Over the course of this Parliament, the yearly amount of the fu...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: FlagsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71275More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance to local highways authorities on the placement of not formally authorised (a) flags, (b) banners and (c) advertisements from (i) lamppo
Answer: The government supports the flying of flags across the country. Flags should be an embodiment of bringing our country and our communities together. Guidance exists, such as ‘Flying flags: a plain English guide” - as set out in the Town and Country Plannin...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTHINK! CampaignDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71274More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cancellation of the THINK! Road Safety communications campaign on road (a) injuries and (b) fatalities.
Answer: The Department continues to run the THINK! Campaign. In 2025/26 it has delivered a paid campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of drink driving and will continue to prioritise budget where it can have the most impact. The THINK! campaign has successfu...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordEast Coast Main LineDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71273More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority's Annual Report 2024–25, published on 11 August 2025, for what reason no evaluation was completed for the East Coast Mainline p
Answer: The Department has continued to work closely with Network Rail and industry stakeholders on development of the recast East Coast Main Line timetable, planned for introduction this December. This timetable will realise the benefits of the investment made t...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLower Thames CrossingDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71272More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority's Annual Report 2024–25, published on 11 August 2025, for what reason no evaluation was completed for the Lower Thames Crossing
Answer: The Lower Thames Crossing position can be found in the Tables section of the NISTA annual report which refers to the project post opening evaluation report (POPE). This report details the expected benefits once the scheme opens for traffic, how they will ...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: Environment Protection and Freedom of InformationDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71271More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the nationalised railways will be subject to (a) the Freedom of Information and (b) Environmental Information Regulations regimes.
Answer: Great British Railways will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 in accordance with the statutory provisions that apply to public authorities. This means that information held by these bodies...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordAviation: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71270More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has a policy on airlines using (a) individualized and (b) surveillance pricing when setting air fares.
Answer: The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector with the cost of flights determined by airlines according to a range of factors. The Minister for Aviation and officials from the Department for Transport meet regularly with airlines to ...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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