Richard Holden MP: written questions 2026
1407 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Buses: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116587More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on formally assessing Eastern European and Asian countries as potential strategic partners for UK bus and coach manufacturing s
Answer: My officials work closely with Business and Trade officials, including through the work of the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel.
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Civil ServantsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116586More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2026 to Question 110088, how many staff in total have been recruited into DFT Operator Limited (DFTO) on a headcount basis since 1 January 2024; and what the net change in
Answer: The table below sets out the number of employees recruited from January 2024 and the change to net employee headcount per quarter for DFT Operator Limited (DFTO). The increases in headcount are as a result of the progressive public ownership programme man...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy: ConservationDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116585More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has considered reinstating voltage optimisation technologies in the Energy Saving Materials framework.
Answer: DESNZ has not considered reinstating voltage optimisation technologies in the Energy Saving Materials framework due to limitations in the performance of the technology. Voltage optimisers work by reducing the voltage to close to the lower permitted limit ...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAviation: Colour Vision DeficiencyDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116584More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) whether she has considered adopting a practical in-flight colour vision assessment model, such as the Aviation Operational Colour Vision Assessment used by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia, b
Answer: Pilot colour vision testing is an issue that is considered by aviation authorities across the world. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is in discussion with national aviation authorities, including the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA),...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordGovernment Property AgencyCabinet OfficeTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116583More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of the Government estate is managed by the Government Property Agency; which departments, arm’s-length bodies or property portfolios lie within its direct management responsibilities; and what th
Answer: Fifty-three per cent (2023/24 53 per cent) of the central government office portfolio, covering c.1,100,000 sqm has been transferred to the Government Property Agency. The Agency provides portfolio services to the following Government departments: Advisor...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: ImportsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116582More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of imports of (a) maize, (b) oilseed rape, (c) ethanol and (d) wheat on UK farmers and domestic markets.
Answer: Imports supplement domestic production and ensure any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease do not affect the UK's overall security of food supply. The UK agricultural sector is highly resilient and adaptable and operates in an open mar...
Answered 10 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordVehicle Number Plates: FraudHome OfficeTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116581More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2026 to Question 107774, if she will publish the specialist advice provided by the National Protective Security Authority and the National Counter Terrorism Securi
Answer: Comprehensive advice and guidance relating to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) is freely available online. It can be accessed via the ProtectUK platform (https://www.protectuk.police.uk/hostile-vehicle-mitigation-hvm) or via the National Protective Securi...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordBlue Badge SchemeDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116580More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Blue Badges are currently issued and valid, broken down by local authority.
Answer: As of March 2024, there were 2,837,000 valid Blue Badges in circulation across England. Information regarding breakdown by local authority can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/blue-badge-scheme-statistics-data-tables...
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: GrantsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116579More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) What estimate her Department has made of i) the average retail price of vehicles eligible for the £3,750 Electric Car Grant, and ii) the proportion of new electric vehicles currently on sale that qualify for
Answer: Preliminary data on vehicles ordered and delivered to customers since grant launch show that the median purchase price of a vehicle eligible for the £3,750 Electric Car Grant (ECG) banding before the grant is applied is £24,009.88. Based on registration d...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordLiverpool Street StationDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116578More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) how many full or partial weekend closures affecting London Liverpool Street services have occurred since July 2024; b) what assessment she has made of the economic impact of weekend engineering works on comm
Answer: It is very rare to close Liverpool Street on a weekend for longer than 27 hours and not on a Saturday. Network Rail will occasionally consider closing the full station on a Sunday as, with train operators, they can offer alternative travel options into L...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116577More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) how much Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) funding has been i) allocated, ii) drawn down, and iii) spent, b) what the average time is between allocation and operational deployment of LEVI-funded chargepoints; a
Answer: £343 million capital funding has been allocated to 113 local authorities (LAs) across England through the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund. As of 2 March 2026, £328m funding has been delivered to 105 LAs. Spending by LAs is a matter betwe...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116576More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has contingency plans to intervene in the event that private sector delivery of public electric vehicle chargepoints falls below the level required to meet the 2030 target.
Answer: An estimate of potential future demand for charge points was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: The National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This analysis was updated in 2024 to ...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116575More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how frequently her Department reviews private sector delivery against projected installation requirements for meeting the 2030 public chargepoint target.
Answer: An estimate of potential future demand for charge points was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: The National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This analysis was updated in 2024 to ...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116574More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has defined quantitative benchmarks for determining whether private sector delivery of public electric vehicle chargepoints is sufficient to meet the 2030 target.
Answer: An estimate of potential future demand for charge points was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: The National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This analysis was updated in 2024 to ...
Answered 9 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: AdvertisingDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116573More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total cost to the public purse has been of the Get that Electric Feeling advertising campaign; and whether she will publish a breakdown of that spending, including a) creative development and agency fe
Answer: The Get That Electric Feeling campaign was established to help boost the uptake of electric vehicle ownership ahead of the phase out of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. It aims to highlight the benefits of driving an electric car, including lower charg...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: AccidentsDepartment for TransportTabled 27 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116572More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Rule H1 of the Highway Code, a) what assessment she has made of whether the hierarchy of road users alters expectations of legal responsibility in collisions involving motorists; b) whether he
Answer: The previous government did not initiate any assessment of the impact of Rule H1 following their introduction of the rule in 2022.Rule H1 of the Highway Code is an advisory rule. Although failure to comply with the advisory rules of the Highway Code will ...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordAviation: FuelsDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116231More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Written Statement of 23 February 2026 on Update on disclosed documents for AC-2025-LON-003837, which official was responsible for the incorrect application of fuel efficiency measures within the
Answer: The Department does not name individual members of staff. Such updates are always quality assured, which involves checks from various analysts who are not directly involved in the work. The Department’s quality assurance processes are fully aligned with t...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordParking: Fees and ChargesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116230More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has issued guidance to councils on higher parking fees for heavier vehicles.
Answer: No such guidance has been issued. Local authorities are best placed to determine requirements for their own area.
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Business and Trade: Carbon Emissions and Sustainable DevelopmentDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116229More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2026 to Question 106607, if he will (a) publish the value of external consultancy and advisory contracts used by his Department in 2024-25 in relation to Net Zero,
Answer: My department is committed to supporting Net Zero goals and advancing Clean Energy initiatives. In 2024, the UK signed a Government-to-Government Arrangement with the Dominican Republic to help deliver infrastructure projects that promote mutual economic ...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: TicketsDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116228More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the proposed Great British Railways ticketing website and mobile application will be (a) built upon existing industry retail systems and (b) a newly developed retail platform owned and operated by Great
Answer: Once Great British Railways (GBR) is established, it will retail online by consolidating individual train operators’ ticket websites. This will take place alongside a thriving private sector retail market, which will continue to play a key role in driving...
Answered 3 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordDrax Power: Low Carbon Contracts CompanyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116227More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2026 to Question 102835, under what conditions would a contract be terminated.
Answer: Where the generator is found to be non‑compliant with the conditions of public support, enforcement action is available, including the withholding of subsidy and contract termination. The Low Carbon Dispatchable Contract for Difference (LCD CfD) contains ...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordSafety BarriersDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116226More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many miles of wire rope safety barriers are installed on roads managed by National Highways; and in which years they were installed.
Answer: National Highways has approximately 143 miles of wire rope safety barrier on its network. For context, the total length of Vehicle Restraint Systems (VRS) on National Highways’ network is approximately 6462 miles, of which wire rope safety barrier is one ...
Answered 6 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordMotorways: CamerasDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116225More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with National Highways, police and regional road safety partnerships on the suspension of motorway camera enforcement arising from technical faults; if she will publish a) interim g
Answer: The Department has worked closely with National Highways, the Home Office and the police to respond to a technical anomaly affecting some speed cameras on a limited number of motorways and A-roads. National Highways always keeps safety issues under review...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordElection OffencesSpeaker's Committee on the Electoral CommissionTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116224More
Question: To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, with reference to the Electoral Commission report by the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool, Understanding electoral fraud vul
Answer: The report referenced, “Understanding electoral fraud vulnerability in Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin communities in England”, was an independent academic report prepared for the Electoral Commission. It does not represent the Commission’s views. The Co...
Answered 4 Mar 2026
Original Parliament recordWritten Questions: Government ResponsesLeader of the HouseTabled 26 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 116223More
Question: To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 91457 on Written Questions: Government Responses, if he will publish his letter.
Answer: It is a long-established precedent that internal government correspondence is not normally shared publicly.
Answered 5 Mar 2026
Original Parliament record
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