Richard Holden MP: written questions 2025
1652 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Bus Services: Visual ImpairmentDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99924More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 82988 on Bicycles: Infrastructure, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of floating bus stops on independent access to bus services for blin
Answer: The Department recognises the concerns raised about floating bus stops, particularly by vision-impaired people, and we are taking steps to address them. Section 31 of the Bus Services Act 2025 requires the Secretary of State to publish statutory guidance ...
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99801More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing interest charges from student loans for UK nationals on costs to the public purse.
Answer: Education is a devolved matter, and this response outlines the information for England only.The government keeps the student finance system under continuous review to ensure that it delivers good value for both students and taxpayers.Student loans are sub...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: LoansDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99800More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the annual cost is of providing student loan financing to students who are not UK citizens; and whether she has made an estimate of the potential impact of restricting student loan eligibility to British c
Answer: Higher education student finance is targeted on those persons with a lawful and substantial residential connection to the UK. To qualify, most persons must be ‘settled’ in the UK. There are limited exceptions to this, such as for individuals granted inter...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS England: Carbon EmissionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99799More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2025 to Question 92091 on NHS England: Carbon Emissions, what estimate has been made of the cost to the NHS of delivering the net zero targets; and whether tho
Answer: These targets are system–led and were set by NHS England, in collaboration with its Net Zero Expert Panel, to support the United Kingdom’s legislative target in a way that is ambitious but achievable. NHS England has been clear that its approach is design...
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: Private SectorDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99798More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2025 to Question 94307 on Railways: Private Sector, what metrics her Department plans to use to measure the potential impact of the Railways Bill on levels of private sector
Answer: As set out in the answer to Question 94307, establishing GBR through the Railways Bill will provide an integrated approach and greater longer-term certainty for rail, giving the private sector the confidence it needs to invest and support innovation throu...
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCars: TaxationTreasuryTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99797More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 94796 on Cars: Taxation, whether a weight-based system of vehicle taxation for cars is under consideration by her Department.
Answer: The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public fina...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: Facilities AgreementsDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99796More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 94308 on Railways: Facilities Agreements, when the updated Framework Document is expected to be published.
Answer: The Framework Document is being reviewed and updated following the change of role from the DfT Operator of Last Resort to the Operator of First Choice and the transfer of circa 200 DfT staff to DFTO on 31 March 2026. The Department intends to publish the ...
Answered 23 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: StaffDepartment for TransportTabled 15 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99795More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2025 to Question 95727 on Driving Instruction: Staff, how many civilian driving tests the 36 defence driving examiners are expected to conduct over the 12-month support peri
Answer: The announcement on this measure by the Secretary of State for Transport on 12 November, provided further details regarding the number of tests. Information on this and other measures announced is available on GOV.UK.
Answered 22 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Transport Police: Industrial DisputesDepartment for TransportTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97814More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to Question 86754 on Railways: Industrial Disputes and 2 December 2025 to Question 93782 on British Transport Police: Industrial Disputes, if she will make an assessmen
Answer: Section 280 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 is applicable to the British Transport Police as it is for a Home Office force. The effect of section 280(1) is to remove police officers from the statutory protections set out i...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRoad Traffic Control: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 8 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97811More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 60138 on Road Traffic Control: Finance, whether she is providing central support for congestion improvement measures.
Answer: The Department provides a range of funding mechanisms to local authorities to enable them to deliver their objectives. It is for them to determine how best to use this to manage their roads to fulfil their Network Management Duty.
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97573More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the net fiscal cost of freezing rail prices in each of the next five years.
Answer: I refer the Honourable Member to the response I provided him to question 95968 on 4 December 2025.
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the rail fare freeze.
Answer: I refer the Honourable Member to the response I provided him to question 95968 on 4 December 2025.
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Overseas Territories: CourtsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97571More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in light of the recent ruling on 51Job, Inc. by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, what steps she is taking to ensure that Overseas Territory courts comply with Privy Cou
Answer: Financial Services regulation is a devolved matter for the Cayman Islands Government. The UK Government works closely with the Cayman Islands authorities to uphold the rule of law and ensure robust legal frameworks. Cayman Islands courts operate independe...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCayman Islands and China: Investment and Pension FundsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97570More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the recent ruling on 51Job, Inc. by the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands, what steps he is taking to ensure that Cayman Islands institutions have the (a) c
Answer: Financial Services regulation is a devolved matter for the Cayman Islands Government. The UK Government works closely with the Cayman Islands authorities to uphold the rule of law and ensure robust legal frameworks. Cayman Islands courts operate independe...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCayman Islands: ChinaForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 5 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97569More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure that British investors and pension funds are not prevented from challenging harmful actions by Chinese actors in Cayman Isl
Answer: Financial Services regulation is a devolved matter for the Cayman Islands Government. The UK Government works closely with the Cayman Islands authorities to uphold the rule of law and ensure robust legal frameworks. Cayman Islands courts operate independe...
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordGlioblastoma: Medical TreatmentsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97568More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what potential new treatments for glioblastoma have been trialled in the NHS.
Answer: The Department of Health and Social Care enables research via its research arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and is committed to furthering our investment and driving scientific advancements in research into the causes and t...
Answered 15 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRolling Stock: LeasingDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97185More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the Office for National Statistics to (a) determine a timescale for its review of rolling stock leasing agreements and (b) identify which leases or train operating companies will form part of t
Answer: Timescales for its work in this area are for the ONS to determine, as an independent body.
Answered 9 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBus Services: ConcessionsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97184More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2025 to Question 86957 on Bus Services: Concessions, whether the Government has made an assessment of the financial sustainability of expanding the English National Concessi
Answer: The Department has not made a specific assessment of the cost of expanding the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) to include companion passes. However, since my response to Question 86957 on Bus Services: Concessions, newly released figu...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates: ValuationTreasuryTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97183More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether, following the Government’s decision to abolish the Valuation Office Agency and transfer its functions into HM Revenue and Customs, she plans to maintain the current Valuation Office Agency methodology for a
Answer: At Budget 2025, the government published a Call for Evidence on Business Rates and Investment which will explore concerns raised by a small number of ratepayers whose properties are valued on the ‘Receipts & Expenditure’ methodology and options to imp...
Answered 12 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: StaffCabinet OfficeTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97182More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2025 to WPQ 69365, if he will publish a list of the changes made between the previous published version of the framework and the new version published on 16 June 2025.
Answer: We do not routinely publish the list of changes made to the document, as the most up to date version is the one we are measuring the performance of the function against.
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British RailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97181More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the proposed advisory role of the Office of Rail and Road under the Railways Bill in providing independent scrutiny of Great British Railways’ annual and five-yea
Answer: The Government considers the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) proposed advisory role under the Railways Bill provides effective independent scrutiny of Great British Railway’s (GBR) business plans. We would expect the ORR to assess efficiency, value for mo...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBuses and Large Goods Vehicles: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97180More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2025 to Question 71238 on Buses and Large Goods Vehicles: Licensing, whether her Department has now concluded its consideration of next steps following the consultation ent
Answer: The Government is reviewing responses to the consultation conducted under the previous government. We are considering next steps and will provide an update once this work has concluded.
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordShipping: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97179More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to expand the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to cover international shipping.
Answer: The UK ETS Authority has published a consultation on expanding the UK ETS to international maritime voyages from 2028. We propose that 50% of emissions from international maritime voyages are covered by the scheme. The consultation runs until 20th January...
Answered 12 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordHydrogen: ProductionDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97178More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK’s current regulatory framework for supporting cleaner hydrogen production for industrial sites.
Answer: Low carbon hydrogen will play a vital role in decarbonising industry, enabling the transition to a low carbon economy while protecting jobs and driving growth across the UK’s industrial heartlands. The current regulatory framework provides a strong founda...
Answered 12 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRefineries: Carbon EmissionsTreasuryTabled 4 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97177More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including oil refining within the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
Answer: The government recognises that refineries play a role in energy security and the UK’s industrial base, and will publish a call for evidence on the fuel sector. The government is also considering the feasibility and impacts of including refined products in...
Answered 12 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
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