Richard Holden MP: written questions 2025
1652 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Lobbying: Official HospitalityCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71219More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department provides on holding departmental receptions at the offices of consultant lobbying firms.
Answer: The Ministerial Code sets out guidance for Ministers on engaging with external stakeholders. Separate guidance relating to the regulation of consultant lobbying is published by the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists.
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordKeir Starmer: Workplace PensionsCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71218More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 47344 on Workplace Pensions: Inheritance Tax, whether MyCSP administers the Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC; and whether there is an annual (a) set of account
Answer: MyCSP currently administers the pension scheme for Keir Starmer QC. Neither an annual set of accounts or a report are provided for this pension scheme.
Answered 26 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Performance Related PayCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71217More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question HL8406 on Civil Servants: Performance Related Pay, what is his Department's policy on performance-related pay for the Junior Civil Service; and what is the maxi
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer on 23 June 2025 (HL 8406). As has been the practice in previous administrations, the arrangements for performance-related pay for the Senior Civil Service (SCS) are published in annual SCS pay practitioner guidance. Th...
Answered 7 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: LanyardsCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71216More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 58669 on Cabinet Office: Lanyards, what was the (a) artwork and (b) branding on the 6,376 lanyards purchased for £5,069.99.
Answer: As was the case under the previous administration, the Cabinet Office issues standard Cabinet Office branded lanyards to staff as a default. On 6 April, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a ban on unnecessary branded merchandise. Whilst it...
Answered 23 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCollege for National Security: EqualityCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71215More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the College for National Security Privacy Notice published on 19 June 2025, what steps he has taken to ensure that diversity data collected by the College for National Security is not used to i
Answer: I refer to my answer for [PQ 69607] provided on [21/07/2025]. CfNS does not at the moment collect diversity data. Personal data is currently collected and processed in line with the College’s Privacy Notice, which can be accessed on GOV.UK here.
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPermanent Secretaries: PayTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71214More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2025 to Question 65151 on Permanent Secretaries: Pay, which two Permanent Secretary roles were approved; and what the salaries were.
Answer: Since July 2024, HM Treasury and Cabinet Office have approved two Permanent Secretary roles to exceed the Permanent Secretary pay band; one in each the Department of Health and Social Care and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Sector: PayTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71213More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications were made to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury under the approval of senior pay process for salaries above (a) £150,000 and (b) £174,000 since 4 July 2024; how many of those applications were
Answer: Since 4 July 2024, HM Treasury has approved 200 cases under the senior pay approval process. Following a July 2025 update to the guidance, HM Treasury approval is required for salaries above £174,000 and performance-related pay over £25,000.
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordInflationTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71212More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled Spring Statement 2025: Policy Costings, updated on 2 April 2025, for what reason that document uses both (a) RPI and (b) CPI inflation.
Answer: The Government confirms tax rates and thresholds annually. In some cases, to make sure that they reflect the current economy, they are uprated to account for inflation. The policy paper entitled Spring Statement 2025: Policy Costings sets out the indexati...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPayment Systems RegulatorTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71211More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the merger of the Payment Services Regulator in the Financial Conduct Authority will require (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation; and what her planned timetable is for completion of that merger.
Answer: The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has carried out important work to support the UK’s world leading payments sector. However, moving forward, the Government wishes to see a more streamlined regulatory environment with minimal overlap between regulators’ ...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTreasury: Government Art CollectionDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71210More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which Government Art Collection works have been (a) installed and (b) deinstalled from HM Treasury main offices since 4 July 2024 by (i) title, (ii) artist and (iii) reference number.
Answer: The Government Art Collection is a working collection, used across government buildings in the UK and the global estate, which means that artworks may change their display location from time to time in response to new display steers and requests.
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71209More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 5.91 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October 2024, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the treatment of double cab pick-up vehicles on (a) SMEs,
Answer: Double Cab Pick Up vehicles (DCPUs) have in the past been treated as goods vehicles for tax purposes, rather than cars. Following a judgement by the Court of Appeal, DCPUs must be treated as cars, rather than goods vehicles, for certain tax purposes, base...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordInsurance Premium TaxTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71208More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of insurance premium tax on the cost of car insurance; and whether she plans to increase insurance premium tax.
Answer: Last year, we established a cross-government motor insurance taskforce with a strategic remit to set the direction for UK government policy, identifying short- and long-term actions for departments that may contribute to stabilising or reducing car insura...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Security: FinanceTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71207More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 62994 on Defence: Expenditure, whether expenditure on (a) transport and (b) broadband networks are within the scope of spending on critical infrastructure.
Answer: As set out in the Government's answer of 1 July to Question 62994 on Defence: Expenditure, the Government defines defence and national security spending in line with NATO's definition. NATO's definition of defence and security related expenditure includes...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: BuildingsCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71206More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May 2025 to Question 53201 on Cabinet Office: Building, what major repairs are required to bring the building back into use.
Answer: 36 Whitehall requires major repairs and refurbishment to bring back into use and is being actively considered as part of the plans for London's government office estate.
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordOfficial Residences: Repairs and MaintenanceCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71205More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether there is an annual allowance for (a) works, (b) fittings and (c) fixtures for Ministerial residences in (i) Downing Street, (ii) Carlton Gardens and (iii) Admiralty House.
Answer: The Government Property Agency (GPA) does not have an annual allowance for works, fittings and fixtures for Ministerial residences.
Answered 15 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Service: EqualityDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71204More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the cost to the civil service of the requirement in the Employment Rights Bill to provide (a) additional facility time to trade unions and (b) facility time for equality re
Answer: In October 2024 the government published impact assessments on the trade union-related measures within the Employment Rights Bill and these are available here: Employment Rights Bill: impact assessments - GOV.UK
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card SolutionCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71203More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 63329 on Cabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, what the (a) title and (b) purpose of that training was.
Answer: The title of the training course was Team Facilitated Conversations.The purpose of the training was for the individual to gain the necessary skills and processes to resolve team conflicts across various sectors.
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Bodies: Freedom of InformationCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71202More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the judgement in George Greenwood v The Information Commissioner & Anor, [2025] UKFTT 391 (GRC), whether his Department has issued guidance to government bodies on whether staff who have left a
Answer: The Cabinet Office has not issued Freedom of Information guidance to departments relating to the judgement in George Greenwood v The Information Commissioner & The Cabinet Office, [2025] UKFTT 391 (GRC).
Answered 13 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHouse of Lords Appointments CommissionCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71201More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 62083 on House of Lords Appointments Commission, on what date the public appointments process opened; whether it has been extended; and whether any people who a
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question 66291, which sets out when the campaign was launched and subsequently closed to applications. The Government announced on 19 August 2025 that, as a result of the campaign, Professor Adeeba Malik CBE DL had ...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: MediaCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71200More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) the Government Communications Service has made of the effectiveness of government press offices with large numbers of staff.
Answer: The Spending Review announced that all departments will reduce their administration budgets by at least 16% in real terms by 2029-30. As part of standard operational management, Cabinet Office regularly reviews the structure, capacity, and performance of ...
Answered 23 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: GenderCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71199More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason page 38 of the document entitled Government Function: People, Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework, updated on 30 June 2025, refers to gender rather than sex.
Answer: The document entitled Government Function: People, Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework uses the term gender on the basis that this refers to the legally required business publication of Gender Pay Gap reporting as per the Equality Act 2010.
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUnHerd: AdvertisingCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71198More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question HL7884 on Government Departments: Advertising, whether government advertising is permitted on the Unherd website.
Answer: The Government uses a range of channels to reach and engage the public. Any use of these platforms is assessed against the high standards for digital safety set out in the Government Communication Service (GCS) SAFE framework. As there has not been an ass...
Answered 23 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordData, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent ReviewCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71197More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 64568 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, what the planned timetable is for the UK Statistics Authority to respond substantiv
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 29th August is attached.
Answered 23 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCompanies House: DatabasesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71196More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 62769 on Companies House: Databases, whether Companies House plans to remove entry 08881386 from the register.
Answer: Companies House will take appropriate action using the powers available whenever suspicious information is brought to its attention or identified by internal checks.The company in question was dissolved in 2018 and does not form part of the Register of Co...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordKing Charles III: ArtworksCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71195More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64832 on King Charles III: Artworks, if he will provide a hyperlink to the breakdown of the take up for (a) UK Government departments and (b) arm's-length bodies
Answer: His Majesty The King’s free Portrait Scheme was a voluntary programme offering a free, framed portrait of The King to any eligible public institution that requested one. Following the conclusion of the scheme, a breakdown of the take up including UK Gover...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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