Richard Holden MP: written questions 2025
1652 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Official GiftsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68478More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, With reference to the publication entitled Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - Ministers' Gifts - May 2025, published on 26 June 2025, what the meaning is of the ent
Answer: When the Foreign Secretary receives a gift, he decides whether the gift will be retained by the department, or purchased by him personally. On this occasion, the Foreign Secretary has decided this gift will be retained by the department. The public data w...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: Official HospitalityMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68477More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Ministry of Defence: Ministers’ Hospitality - May 2025, published on 26 June 2025, for what reason the Rt Hon Member for Liverpool Garston received lunches offered by Babcock on (a) 26 May, (b)
Answer: To maximise the value of my time on overseas visits, I will sometimes join working lunches with industry to discuss their live export campaigns and priorities. The dates referenced cover a period where I was in New Zealand and Australia to further Defence...
Answered 25 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBeer: Excise Duties and PackagingDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67989More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of new packaging regulations on the cost of producing draught and bottled beer; and whether those impacts were t
Answer: The Government has worked closely with industry, including the brewing and hospitality sectors throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR). In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact o...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBeer: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67988More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of draught beer duty relief on the viability of pubs in (a) rural areas and (b) newly developed communities.
Answer: The Chancellor’s draught rate cut at Autumn Budget 2024 applied to approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. Draught beer and cider now pay 13.9% less in duty than their packaged equivalents – a 50% increase on the previous draught discount ...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFractures: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67496More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the roll-out of Fracture Liaison Services.
Answer: Fracture Liaison Services are commissioned by integrated care boards, which are well-placed to make decisions according to local need.Our 10-Year Health Plan committed to rolling out Fracture Liaison Services across every part of the country by 2030.The D...
Answered 12 Aug 2025
Original Parliament recordOfcom: WomenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67495More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions his Department has had with Ofcom on the potential impact of the Supreme Court ruling in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers on the guidance it issu
Answer: None.
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordOfcom: WomenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67494More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has set a deadline for Ofcom to implement the Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025 within Ofcom guidance.
Answer: No.
Answered 18 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordOfcom: WomenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67493More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on plans to implement the Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025 within Ofcom guidance
Answer: None.
Answered 18 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordOfcom: WomenDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67492More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had had with Ofcom to discuss the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment in the case of For Women Scotland v The
Answer: None.
Answered 18 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPregnancy: Social ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67491More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a duty to refer new mothers experiencing mental distress to appropriate local services.
Answer: We recognise that supporting women’s mental health is a crucial aspect of care at all stages of pregnancy and post-partum.General practitioners (GPs) can offer initial support for mild to moderate mental health problems including depression and anxiety. I...
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPregnancy: Third SectorDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67490More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that new mothers experiencing (a) anxiety, (b) postnatal depression and (c) other difficulties after birth are routinely referred to local third-sector
Answer: We recognise that supporting women’s mental health is a crucial aspect of care at all stages of pregnancy and post-partum.General practitioners (GPs) can offer initial support for mild to moderate mental health problems including depression and anxiety. I...
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren's Funeral FundMinistry of JusticeTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67489More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has considered extending eligibility for the Children’s Funeral Fund to include babies lost before 24 weeks’ gestation; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providi
Answer: Losing a baby is an unimaginably painful experience for any family. To help ease the financial burden during such a difficult time, the Children’s Funeral Fund for England provides support towards the cost of a funeral.The Fund, established under the Soci...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: TaxationTreasuryTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67488More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will introduce a three month extension to the transition period for capital allowance rules for Double Cab Pick Ups.
Answer: Following recent case law from 2020, Double Cab Pick Ups with a payload of one tonne or more must be treated as cars for capital allowances purposes, in line with the Court of Appeal's judgement on the primary suitability of such vehicles. The government ...
Answered 17 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign Investment in UK: EssexDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67487More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities in Essex to deliver place-based foreign direct investment strategies in line with the Harrington Review recommendations.
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) promotes investment across the UK. At the International Investment Summit, we announced a major overhaul of how DBT will implement the Harrington Review - strengthening the Office for Investment (OfI) and aligni...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: East of EnglandMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67486More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to bring forward pilot zoning schemes to provide easier planning for commercial development in financial and professional service hubs in the East of England.
Answer: The government recognises a local zonal approach where upfront planning permission is granted for certain types of commercial development can be a useful tool to attract new investment to specific places.Local planning authorities already have the power t...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGrowth and Skills LevyDepartment for EducationTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking through the Growth and Skills levy to introduce greater flexibility for blended and modular learning.
Answer: The growth and skills offer will introduce greater flexibility to employers and learners in England, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, aligned with the government’s industrial strategy.Initially, the department will introduce ...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFinancial Services: EssexMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67484More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to support the development of local industrial strategies for financial and related professional services in Essex.
Answer: Greater Essex is part of the Devolution Priority Programme, which aims to see a new Mayoral Strategic Authority established by spring 2026. If a Mayoral Strategic Authority is established, it will need to develop a Local Growth Plan to provide a long-term...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: Government AssistanceDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 14 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67483More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Strategic Investment Opportunities Unit within the Office for Investment supports SMEs and scale-ups to access investment in (a) Basildon and Billericay const
Answer: As announced in the Infrastructure Strategy the new Strategic Investment Opportunities unit will identify, shape and deliver on strategic projects and programmes with significant scope for private capital and investor interest. These will be aligned to in...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordLiving Wage and Minimum Wage: PublicityDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67155More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answers of 2 July 2025 and 11 July 2025 to Questions 62768 and 64918 on Pay: Publicity, whether he has considered releasing the (a) aggregate value of the payments made to and (b) the n
Answer: I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2nd July 2025 to question 62768 (Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament) and the answer I gave on 11th July to question 64918 (Written questions and ans...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFamily ProceedingsMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67154More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Government plans to commission an independent review of training for (a) family court judges, (b) Cafcass officers and (c) expert witnesses on (i) coercive control, (ii) post-separation abuse and (i
Answer: The Government currently has no plans to commission an independent review of training for family court judges, Cafcass officers and expert witnesses.The judiciary is independent of the Government; under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the Lady Chief J...
Answered 17 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFamily CourtsMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67153More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the evaluation of the Pathfinder pilot family courts will be published in full prior to any national policy changes based on its findings.
Answer: The Government commissioned formal evaluation of the Pathfinder pilots in North Wales and Dorset in two parts. The first part was a process evaluation and financial analysis which was published in March 2025. The second part examines the experiences of ch...
Answered 17 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFamily Courts: CustodyMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67152More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how often the presumption of contact was disapplied in family court proceedings where (a) allegations and (b) findings of domestic abuse were present in the last 12 months; and whether her Department plans to pub
Answer: Data is not held centrally on how often the presumption of parental involvement is disapplied in family court proceedings under either a) or b). The relevant data could only be obtained by an analysis of individual case files at a disproportionate cost.Do...
Answered 17 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordFamily Courts: CustodyMinistry of JusticeTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67151More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when her Department plans to publish its review of the presumption of parental contact in family courts; and whether that review will include consideration of disapplying the presumption in cases where domestic a
Answer: The Review into the Presumption of Parental Involvement is now complete. The Review and the Government’s response and next steps will be published shortly.
Answered 17 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordTeachers: TrainingDepartment for EducationTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67150More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of serving teachers have completed continuous professional development specifically covering ADHD and dyslexia since 2020; and what plans she has to make such training compulsory.
Answer: The requested information on continuous professional development completed by teachers is not collected centrally.The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), in...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordADHD: GirlsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 11 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67149More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the under-diagnosis of ADHD in girls; and what targets have been set for improving identification rates by 2026.
Answer: We recognise that diagnosis rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are lower in women and girls and lower than the best evidence on prevalence. This may reflect differences in how ADHD present in males and females, which may make ADHD mo...
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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