Richard Holden MP: written questions 2026
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Written questions
Electric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118914More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2026 to Question 110885 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, if she will make an estimate of the average amount of public funding provided per chargepoint under schemes a
Answer: Most public charge points have not received any public subsidy. The average amount of public funding per charge point under the closed On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), is currently approximately £3,500 for completed projects. This is subje...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElection OffencesSpeaker's Committee on the Electoral CommissionTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118913More
Question: To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 116224, whether the Electoral Commission plans to undertake research on the relat
Answer: The Electoral Commission does not plan to research the relationship between biradari networks, first cousin marriage and electoral fraud.Despite very low levels of proven electoral fraud in the UK, it is a matter the Commission takes seriously. It publish...
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLondon North Eastern Railway: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118912More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of tickets sold on services operated by London North Eastern Railway in July 2024 excluding railcard discounts were at a) the fully flexible fare price, b) between 90 per cent and 100 per cent o
Answer: The Department does not hold information on the proportion of tickets sold at these price points.
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118911More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of the Official Register of Driving Instructor Training on the (a) quality assurance of registered driving instructor trainers and (b) ability
Answer: The Official Register of Driving Instructor Training (ORDIT) scheme was suspended by the previous Government in November 2023. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency recognises the importance of ORBIT and will engage with the industry and discuss how and...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118910More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what methodology she uses to assess the effectiveness of pothole funding.
Answer: The Department for Transport published local road maintenance ratings on 11 January, measuring how well each local highway authority is maintaining its local roads and making use of its increased government funding. The methodology used to calculate the r...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118909More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 116553 on the Highway Code, whether she plans to undertake an assessment of the effectiveness of Rule H1.
Answer: As I set out in response to Question 116553, when the previous government introduced Highway Code rule H1 in 2022, they did not initiate or plan for any assessment of their introduction of the rule. Like the previous government, this government does not s...
Answered 16 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAirports: Business RatesTreasuryTabled 9 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118908More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 116218, what comparative assessment she has made of the economic circumstances of UK civil airports between 1 April 2021 and 1 April 2024.
Answer: The Valuation Office Agency assessed changes to the economic circumstances of airports as part of the 2026 Revaluation exercise, where average Rateable Values for civil airports have increased at the valuation date of 1 April 2024. The VOA announced updat...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordM1: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118274More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the roadworks on the M1 (Northbound) between junctions 12 and 13 to be completed.
Answer: National Highways currently anticipate completion of works on the M1 (Northbound) between junctions 12 and 13 by the end of March 2026, subject to the findings of National Highways' own investigation into whether the drainage issues identified extend beyo...
Answered 13 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: Government AssistanceDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 118273More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 115453 on Railways: Government Assistance, what the decrease in support is expected to be in each year of the spending review period.
Answer: The Department for Transport's support for the 14 contracted operators and Network Rail was £8.47 per journey in 2024/25. It is currently estimated that this will steadily decrease to just over £7 per journey in 2028/29. This means an average year on year...
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: WalesDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117910More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to railways in Wales for Welsh Rail Enhancements for (a) UK Government Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) - or equivalent and (b) Core Valley Lines enhancement funding
Answer: Rail enhancement investment in Wales is detailed below. UKG Enhancements comprise funding from the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline and the Levelling Up Fund. YearUKG EnhancementsCVL Enhancement Funding paid to Welsh Goverment2020/21£16 million£141 mill...
Answered 13 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: VacanciesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117909More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many referrals to DVSA Driving Examiner roles have been made via Jobcentre Plus under the pilot scheme in each of the six priority locations; how many of those referrals have resulted in (i) attenda
Answer: We are currently in the process of making referrals for these roles. Each location has the capacity to have 16 customers referred. Assessments will take place on 16 March (Slough & Southampton), 17 March (Tottenham & Bletchley) and 19 March (Bedfo...
Answered 17 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Instruction: VacanciesDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117908More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether DVSA has considered using the GOV.UK instructor page as a recruitment channel.
Answer: As stated in the answer to Question 113159 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) keeps its recruitment activity under regular review to ensure it attracts applications from as wide a pool as possible, and not just from those who may have a drivin...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAviation: FuelsMinistry of DefenceTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117907More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the projected market price per litre of conventional aviation turbine fuel (Jet A-1) in each year from 2025 to 2040 and (b) the marginal cost difference per litre betw
Answer: The Royal Air Force in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence Directorate Analytics are able to provide an estimated cost of the price per litre of both Conventional Aviation Turbine and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in each year from 2025-2040, and t...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: VacanciesDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117906More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving examiner vacancies existed in (a) January 2026 and (b) February 2026.
Answer: As stated in the answer to Question 113159 the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) keeps its recruitment activity under regular review to ensure it attracts applications from as wide a pool as possible, and not just from those who may have a drivin...
Answered 12 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: VacanciesDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 4 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117905More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria DVSA used to designate Bedford, Bletchley, Bromley, Slough, Southampton and Tottenham as priority sites for the Driving Examiner recruitment pilot; what the average driving test waiting ti
Answer: DVSA identified priority locations that had 5 or more live vacancies and provided the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with a list. Following their external recruitment drive in January 2026, DVSA advised DWP that some of the locations initially ide...
Answered 18 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordTyres: ImportsTreasuryTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117439More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 114105 on Tyres: Imports, what consideration her Department has given to using different codes; and whether her Department plans to implement different codes fo
Answer: The UK commodity codes are formed from the World Custom’s Organization’s (WCO) Harmonized System and, as a WCO contracting party, the UK has recently participated in WCO discussions about tyres. These are resulting in a change to code 4004, which will be ...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117438More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115554 on Great British Railways: Finance, whether she plans to publish the (a) internal modelling, (b) business case documentation and (c) analytical assessme
Answer: The Department has no plans to publish the internal modelling or initial business case development which informed the savings from corporate initiatives in the Department’s Efficiency Plan.
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordHigh Speed 1 Line: InvestmentDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117437More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115062, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of increases in business rates on planned private sector investment in Channel Tunnel
Answer: The 2026 business rates revaluation, which is a continuing process, is a matter for the operationally independent Valuation Office Agency (VOA). The VOA is due to publish its final ratings list this Spring.
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBuses: Electric VehiclesDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117436More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of remote access and deactivation capability in Chinese-manufactured electric buses on (a) cybersecurity and (b) publicly funded zero-emission bus
Answer: The Government takes national security extremely seriously and recognises the systemic challenges of increased connectivity and the cyber security implications for almost every area of government policy, including electric buses. The Department works clos...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPets: TaggingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117435More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pet microchip databases are authorised for use in England; what regulatory oversight she exercises over (i) pricing structures, (ii) subscription models and (iii) data access
Answer: Since the introduction of compulsory dog microchipping in 2016, the number of compliant database operators has increased from four to 24. While this gives consumers more choice, it has made it harder for authorised users to access records quickly. Defra i...
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordPets: DatabasesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117434More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce a Central Microchip Portal to enable authorised users, including (i) veterinary professionals, (ii) local authorities, (iii) animal wardens and (iv) poli
Answer: Since the introduction of compulsory dog microchipping in 2016, the number of compliant database operators has increased from four to 24. While this gives consumers more choice, it has made it harder for authorised users to access records quickly. Defra i...
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBus Services: Fixed PenaltiesDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117433More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115052, whether permitting (a) contractors to issue fixed penalty notices under bus byelaws for profit and (b) payment structures linked to the number of fines
Answer: The guidance for local transport authorities on the byelaws provisions in the Bus Services Act 2025 is still being developed and will be published in due course.
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117432More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 113833, what consideration her Department has given to introducing a national standard definition of a pothole, including minimum size and safety thresholds.
Answer: The Well‑managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice, which is in the process of being updated, advises that local highway authorities should use a risk‑based approach when assessing and repairing defects. The Code does not define a national pothole s...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117431More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 115060, what examples her Department has identified of (a) decarbonisation of road maintenance operations and (b) preventative lower-carbon treatments referred
Answer: Examples of activities relevant under this metric include the more efficient management of vehicle movements to both increase operational efficiency and cut carbon emissions. They also include the greater adoption of preventative road surface treatments,...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment of Health and Social Care: TyresDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Mar 2026AnsweredUIN 117430More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2026 to Question 114110, what information his Department holds on tyre procurement by its arm’s-length bodies, including NHS trusts and other agencies; and whether
Answer: The Department does not hold any information on tyre procurement by its arm’s length bodies and does not intend to collect data on the proportion of retread and single-use imported tyres by those bodies. NHS England reports that that emergency ambulances ...
Answered 11 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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