Richard Holden MP: written questions
2152 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Ports: National Policy StatementsDepartment for TransportTabled 6 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111445More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 4.3.2 of the draft National Policy Statement for Ports, what guidance will be available to decision-makers to support their interpretation of the terms compensation for as a last res
Answer: The Government provides guidance on Habitats Regulations Assessments, including compensatory measures, from time to time. We are considering the Transport Committee’s report and responses to the consultation and will shortly lay a final text of the NPSP a...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPorts: National Policy StatementsDepartment for TransportTabled 6 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111444More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to paragraph 4.5.12 of the draft amended National Policy Statement for Ports, published on 4 June 2025, what guidance will be available to decision-makers to support them interpreting the term ec
Answer: The Department for Transport does not intend to publish supplementary guidance on the interpretation of this paragraph. The concepts of technical feasibility and economic reasonableness are generally well established, and encompass costs not being disprop...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMotorcycles: Motor InsuranceDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110899More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will commission a specific inquiry into the motorcycle insurance market to examine underwriter withdrawals, geographic exclusions and pricing anomalies.
Answer: The Government does not intend to commission a specific review into the motorcycle insurance market, as motor insurers are responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the policies that they offer. It is for them to decide the level of risk that th...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAirports: Immigration ControlsHome OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110898More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2026 to Question 104868, what the service standard wait times at passport control are, and what assessment the Department has made of the economic impact of passen
Answer: Border Force publish data on the percentage of sampled measurements cleared within service standards, with the target of 95%.The service standard is 25 minutes for passengers using eGates or queues where the majority of passengers are GBR/ EEA/ B5JSSK nat...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAir Force: Alternative FuelsMinistry of DefenceTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110897More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the additional cost to the public purse of the Royal Air Force transitioning to 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel by 2040; and whether his Department has undertaken any assessmen
Answer: The Royal Air Force (RAF) procures its aviation fuel in the UK from commercial suppliers at market rates. As a result, this makes accurate long-term cost forecasting challenging. The price of aviation fuel, including Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), is su...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: MarketingDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110896More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2026 to Question 106604, whether growing revenue and delivering value for money for passengers carry equal priority in the rollout of Great British Railways branding.
Answer: As set out in the answers to the questions 100962 and 106604, both growing revenue and delivering value for money for passengers are priorities Ministers have set industry leaders delivering the rollout of the Great British Railways brand. These are not m...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordFires: Health and SafetyDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110895More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department issues to Natural England on the circumstances in which staff may not attempt to fight wildfires on land they manage.
Answer: Decisions on when and how Natural England (NE) staff respond to wildfire on land they manage are made by NE, and are dependent on the size of the fire, the training and equipment staff on site can access, and advice from the local Fire and Rescue Service....
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110894More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) Notices to Improve and (b) written instructions her Department issued to train operating companies for which the Department is the operator in relation to (i) service performance and (ii) financial
Answer: The Department has not issued any Notices to Improve on any of the DfT Operator train operating companies in January 2026 because none have been in breach of their formal contractual terms. The Department regularly engages with all operators on service pe...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110893More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average waiting time for a practical car driving test was in January 2026.
Answer: The national average waiting time for a practical car driving test in January 2026 was 21.2 weeks.Data for January 2026 on the number of full-time equivalent driving examiners recruited by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), that are in post a...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: StaffDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110892More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many full-time equivalent driving examiners recruited by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency were (a) in post and (b) delivering practical car driving tests in January 2026.
Answer: The national average waiting time for a practical car driving test in January 2026 was 21.2 weeks.Data for January 2026 on the number of full-time equivalent driving examiners recruited by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), that are in post a...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Manufacturing IndustriesCabinet OfficeTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110891More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the number of vacancies in the automotive manufacturing sector in (a) January 2024 and (b) each subsequent month up to and including the most recent month for which data
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Rt Hon. gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 4th February is attached.
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant SchemeDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110890More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2025 to Question 82998, whether the Department plans to extend the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant Scheme beyond March 2026; and what assessment has been made of the im
Answer: There are no plans for further windows of the HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Matched Funding Scheme (MFGS). To date 16 projects have been withdrawn by the operators. It is estimated that this is a reduction of up to 177 proposed additional HGV parking spa...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPortsmouth International Port: Energy SupplyDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110889More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department provides (a) funding and (b) any other support for increasing (i) grid capacity and (ii) enabling electrification at Portsmouth International Port.
Answer: The Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, published in March 2025, sets out domestic goals and commitments to decarbonise maritime transport, and a call for evidence on Net Zero Ports was launched to assess future energy demand at ports such as Southampton a...
Answered 9 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordEnergy Supply: Port of SouthamptonDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110888More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department provides (a) funding and (b) any other support for increasing (i) grid capacity and (ii) enabling electrification at the Port of Southampton.
Answer: The Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, published in March 2025, sets out domestic goals and commitments to decarbonise maritime transport, and a call for evidence on Net Zero Ports was launched to assess future energy demand at ports such as Southampton a...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHeathrow Airport: ConstructionDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110887More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of requiring (a) regulatory and (b) policy frameworks to be in place before the Heathrow third runway project can proceed to its next phase.
Answer: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as the independent economic regulator, is currently considering options for the future regulatory framework for Heathrow, including how costs are controlled and risks are allocated, with a decision on a preferred regula...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: BiodiversityDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110886More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2026 to Question 104858 on Roads: Biodiversity, what information her Department holds on the (a) estimated cost, (b) estimated cost range and (c) modelling of the biodiversi
Answer: DEFRA’s forthcoming biodiversity net gain impact assessment, which is expected to be published shortly, will set out the impact of applying biodiversity net gain to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: Charging PointsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110885More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2026 to Question 101484 on Electric Vehicles: Charging Points, what estimate she has made of the average amount of public funding provided per chargepoint.
Answer: Information on the average amount of public funding per public chargepoint is not available. Most public chargepoints have not received any public subsidy.
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPorts: Climate ChangeDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110884More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government’s view, as set out in paragraph 4.5.10 of the draft National Policy Statement for Ports dated 4 June 2025, that there is no national resilience case for requiring climate resilience stand
Answer: Section 104(3) Planning Act 2008 requires the Secretary of State to decide an application in accordance with any relevant national policy statement, except to the extent that one or more of subsections (4) to (8) applies.
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110883More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's report entitled Rail customer experience survey pilot report, published on 25 April 2024, what plans she has to use the survey findings to inform performance standards for pub
Answer: The Department uses customer insight data, including emerging findings from the newly introduced Rail Customer Experience Survey, to inform performance management of all train operating companies, including those which are publicly-owned. The Services Agr...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordRoad Traffic Offences: Motor InsuranceDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110882More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to pages 30 and 31 of the Government's report entitled Motor Insurance Taskforce: final report, published on 10 December 2025, whether the Department has concluded its consideration of penalties
Answer: The Government does not intend to commission a specific review into the motorcycle insurance market, as motor insurers are responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the policies that they offer. It is for them to decide the level of risk that th...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMotor InsuranceDepartment for TransportTabled 4 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110881More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has measurable targets for helping to reduce average motor insurance premiums.
Answer: The Government does not intend to commission a specific review into the motorcycle insurance market, as motor insurers are responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the policies that they offer. It is for them to decide the level of risk that th...
Answered 13 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPortsDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110101More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 Janaury 2026 to Question 104987, what forms of legislative modification a Harbour Revision Order is capable of making.
Answer: Harbour Revision Orders can amend, repeal, or consolidate existing harbour legislation.These take the form of works orders or non-works orders. Works orders authorise a project, starting works or other installations or schemes. Non-works orders typically ...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCancer: Dental ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110100More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps NHS England is taking to encourage integrated care boards to commission prioritised oral health pathways for patients undergoing cancer treatment; and whether practices that participate
Answer: The Government is working to ensure that patients who have a diagnosis of cancer receive timely, safe, and effective dental care.NHS England has produced guidelines which aim to ensure that patients across England with a diagnosis of cancer, including ora...
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCancer: Dental ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110099More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has identified general dental practices participating in locally commissioned schemes to provide prioritised oral healthcare for patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Answer: The Government is working to ensure that patients who have a diagnosis of cancer receive timely, safe, and effective dental care.NHS England has produced guidelines which aim to ensure that patients across England with a diagnosis of cancer, including ora...
Answered 5 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUK Emissions Trading Scheme: ShippingDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 2 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 110098More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to page 19 of the Final stage impact assessment entitled UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Scope Expansion - Domestic maritime, published on 25 November 2025, for what reason n
Answer: The Impact Assessment did not include quantified regional or equalities analysis because the available evidence did not support robust estimations of impacts at that level of granularity. The Assessment finds that compliance costs are modest relative to o...
Answered 10 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
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