Richard Holden MP: written questions
3381 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Driving Tests: VacanciesDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121407More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving examiners ceased to practice in each month from July 2024 to the latest month for which figures are available.
Answer: The table below shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) driving examiners (DE) who left the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in each month from July 2024 to February 2026. This data includes all DEs who have left including, for example, n...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMarriageMinistry of JusticeTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121406More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy not to recognise overseas marriages that would be illegal under UK law.
Answer: There are no plans to change the law that an overseas marriage is normally recognised in England and Wales if it complied with the requirements for the form of the ceremony where it took place (meaning by whom, where, when and how it was conducted) and if...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordProperty Development: Recreation SpacesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121405More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has provided guidance to local planning authorities on whether recreational routes associated with major residential developments should accommodate all no
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) sets out that planning policies and decisions should protect and enhance public rights of way and access, including taking opportunities to provide better facilities for users, for example by adding links to e...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBus Services: CyclewaysDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121404More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what policy reason an Equality Impact Assessment was not undertaken in relation to the guidance entitled Floating Bus Stops: Provision and Design.
Answer: As set out in the guidance for public authorities on the Public Sector Equality Duty, the general duty involves consciously thinking about the equality aims while making decisions. There is no prescribed process for doing or recording this. Due regard for...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Under Influence: DrugsHome OfficeTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121403More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 116788, if she will make an assessment of the annual cost to police forces of (a) administering roadside drug-impairment tests and (b) drug-driving t
Answer: The Home Office has not made an assessment on the costs to police forces for administering roadside drug-impartment tests under section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and drug driving testing under section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Answered 26 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSewageDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121402More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her long-term strategy is for reducing sewage discharges from storm overflows; and what targets, timelines and investment requirements have been set for water companies to deliver
Answer: To deliver on the Government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, we are expecting £60 billion of investment to be delivered across England by 2050. Water companies are investing over £11 billion in PR24, a record amount, to improve nearly 3,000 st...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordParking Offences: FinesDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121401More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 115449, in which month in Q3 2026 her Department will set out next steps.
Answer: As noted in my previous answer, a number of parking sector stakeholders conducted research into the issue of penalty charging levels, the findings of which we previously deposited in the House of Commons Library at the following link: https://depositedpap...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTrain Operating Companies: Fees and ChargesDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121400More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the projected savings from the removal of management and performance fees payable to private sector train operating companies are estimated to be; and over what time period those savings will be realised.
Answer: Public ownership is estimated to save taxpayers up to £110-150 million every year on fees currently paid to privately-owned train operating companies, once all services currently delivered under contract with the Department have transferred.
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLogisticsDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121399More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the UK Logistics Network report published by Logistics UK in 2024.
Answer: The Department for Transport is aware of Logistics UK's The UK Logistics Network report (2024) and its subsequent progress tracker report (2025). The department is grateful for Logistics UK’s work and the informative contribution it makes to our evidence ...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: Government AssistanceDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121398More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 118273 on Railways: Government Assistance, if she will provide the annual estimated level of support per rail passenger journey for each financial year betwee
Answer: The Department does not intend to publish further details on the estimates on level of support per rail passenger journey. Data on the previous levels of support per rail passenger kilometre are available here: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/ptafpcco...
Answered 23 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRibble Valley Line: Rolling StockDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 121397More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department provides to Northern Trains Ltd on the allocation of rolling stock between routes; whether the Clitheroe–Manchester line receives comparable peak-time capacity to commuter routes in
Answer: Rail North Partnership reviews Northern’s Train Formation Capacity Plans twice a year, in line with preparations for the May and December timetable change dates, with Northern required to prepare a plan that best matches available capacity to forecast pas...
Answered 25 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: ProcurementMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120930More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of contracts have been awarded by his Department in this Parliament under the terms of the Single Source Contract Regulations 2014 in each month since they came in to force; and with
Answer: The total number of contracts which meet the requirements of the Single Source Contract Regulations 2014 placed in this Parliament is 100. This equates to 4.74% of all contracts placed on or since 4 July 2024.
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordVehicle Number Plates: FraudDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120928More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the percentage of licensed vehicles operating in Greater London that are fitted with ghost, stealth or otherwise ANPR-defeating number plates; what data is collected by
Answer: The DVLA does not routinely collect data on the prevalence of different physical plate types fitted to vehicles. The Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and is consulting on introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for being in c...
Answered 20 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordVehicle Number PlatesDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120927More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of the use of show plates on licensed vehicles used on public roads; whether her Department has considered prohibiting the fitting of show plates to vehicles
Answer: The DVLA does not routinely collect data on the prevalence of different physical plate types fitted to vehicles. The Department for Transport is reviewing motoring offences and is consulting on introducing penalty points and vehicle seizure for being in c...
Answered 20 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordUnmanned Air SystemsMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120926More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has held discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on cooperation relating to counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities; whether he has considered the deployment of Ukrainian counter-UAV (a)
Answer: Russia’s illegal invasion has resulted in Ukraine becoming a world leader in drone and electronic warfare technology. The Secretary of State for Defence has regular discussions with his Ukrainian counterpart on this issue and is delighted that on the 17 M...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBus Services: CyclewaysDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120922More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 116791, on what date the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) was first asked to provide input on the guidance entitled Floating Bus Stops: Pr
Answer: On 9 August 2024, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) issued an advice note on floating bus stops following the publication of research by Living Streets. Officials working on the floating bus stop guidance were aware of this advice....
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120920More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Civil Service Jobs platform records (a) the number of applications received and (b) the number of appointments made for Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency driving examiner recruitment campaigns sinc
Answer: The Civil Service Jobs platform is the central portal for recruitment across the Civil Service and records data for all campaigns managed through the system. Since July 2024, the platform has recorded a total of 26,490 applications received and 1,082 post...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120919More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116574 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, whether her Department has defined quantitative benchmarks for the total number of public electric vehicle charge
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer of 116574.
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHybrid Vehicles: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120918More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 116554 on Hybrid Vehicles: Safety, whether there are areas of transport safety policy which the Government considers to be of paramount importance where the De
Answer: In developing transport safety policy, the Government draws on a broad range of evidence to support policy development and decisions. This includes using existing independent evidence where it is sourced from robust and reliable research, alongside commis...
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTunnels: ConstructionDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120916More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the use of Norwegian-style drill-and-blast tunnelling methods in the construction of UK transport tunnels; and whether she has considered the u
Answer: Norwegian style drill and blast tunnelling is generally suited to continuous hardrock geology that is not characteristic of most interurban routes in the UK. Instead, the latter frequently involves tunnelling through highly variable ground conditions incl...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Civil ServantsDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120914More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2026 to Question 116586, what estimate her Department has made of the level of fees not being paid to former private sector train operating companies as a result of the public
Answer: Public ownership will save taxpayers up to an estimated £110-150 million every year on fees currently paid to privately-owned train operating companies, once all services currently delivered under contract with the Department have transferred.The increase...
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: Greater ManchesterDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120882More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in what month and year her Department expects to make a decision on whether to proceed with any developments to the Northern Powerhouse Rail route referred to in the Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 10714
Answer: The Department is currently discussing the detail and timing of that work with Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Highways and Network Rail: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120881More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 111871, whether any net financial efficiency savings are expected to be attributable to Network Rail from the technology and systems investments, after acc
Answer: Network Rail will write to you on this issue and incorporate a response to your question into its response to a similar question asked previously by Jerome Mayhew MP.
Answered 30 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Wealth FundTreasuryTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120880More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including logistics transport infrastructure in the National Wealth Fund’s five-year strategic plan.
Answer: Transport is one of the National Wealth Fund’s priority sectors.
Answered 24 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDfT Operator: TrainingDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 120879More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department has provided through DfT Operator Limited to increase the number of rail training places.
Answer: The DfT funds DFTO Train Operating Companies directly for a range of activities including training, agreed during the rolling business planning process. This is currently not through DfT Operator Limited.
Answered 19 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →