Richard Holden MP: written questions 2026
1407 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Portsmouth International Port: Energy SupplyDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112240More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2026 to Question 110889, when the shore power trial at Portsmouth International Port began; what the outcomes have been; and whether any evaluation has been produced.
Answer: The shore power demonstrator trial at Portsmouth International Port was publicly awarded nearly £20m of R&D funding in September 2023. Portsmouth International Port began delivery of the project shortly afterwards as part of the UK SHORE Zero Emission...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordLevel Crossings: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112239More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2026 to Question 107166, what information her Department holds on level crossing performance, safety incidents and disruption.
Answer: Safety at level crossings on the mainline railway is the statutory responsibility of Network Rail, which monitors and records performance, safety incidents and disruption to help inform mitigation measures. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR), as the indepe...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCompetition and Markets Authority: Carbon Emissions and Environment ProtectionDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112237More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 108800, what projects undertaken by the Competition and Markets Authority in 2024–25 related to net zero, sustainability and climate policy.
Answer: The following projects undertaken by the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) in 2024 to 2025 related to net zero, sustainability and climate policy, carried out consistently with its statutory duty and functions: Sustainability Taskforce – supportin...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAviation: TrainingDepartment for EducationTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112236More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 105279, whether the Office for Students has had discussions with commercial pilot training providers on registration with that office.
Answer: Registration with the Office for Students (OfS) is voluntary and open to providers that meet the statutory definition of an English higher education provider. This includes those delivering higher‑level courses within the scope of the OfS regulatory frame...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordHonour Based AbuseHome OfficeTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112235More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to introduce a statutory definition of honour-based abuse; what progress she has made on introducing such a definition; and if she will publish a timetable for bringing forward necessar
Answer: The VAWG Strategy, published on 18 December, set out clear action to tackle ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) including legislating to introduce multi-agency statutory guidance and an accompanying statutory definition of HBA. The Government will introduce this s...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record10 Downing Street: ArtworksDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112234More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 108796, where the portrait of William Shakespeare formerly displayed in the Pillared Room at 10 Downing Street is located.
Answer: The Government Art Collection (GAC) is a working collection, used across government buildings in the UK and the global estate, which means that artworks may change their display location from time to time. The GAC removed this portrait from the Pillared D...
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordWheels to Work Schemes: Young PeopleDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112233More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has assessed the potential impact of the Wheels to Work scheme on youth unemployment; and what steps she is taking to support that scheme.
Answer: I refer the Rt Honourable Gentleman to the answer given on 3 February 2026 to question number 108310.
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMotorcycles: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112232More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2026 to Question 108309, in which month the upcoming national strategy for integrated transport is expected to be published.
Answer: The Department is committed to publishing the integrated national transport strategy shortly, which will set the long‑term vision for domestic transport across England.
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: FiresMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112231More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2026 to Question 108300, how many fires involving road vehicles of all types were recorded by Fire and Rescue Services in England in each of
Answer: MHCLG collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England through the Fire & Rescue Data Platform (FaRDaP), and previously through the Incident Recording System (IRS). This includes information on primary fires, fire-rela...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCare Workers and Nurses: English LanguageDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112230More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2026 to Question 107160, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of English language proficiency requirements for registered nurses and care staff in NHS se
Answer: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has published an accepted list of countries where English is a majority spoken language on its website. This is available at the following link:https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/joining-the-register/english-langua...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordCare Workers and Nurses: English LanguageDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112229More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2026 to Question 107160, which countries are defined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council as majority English-speaking for the purposes of meeting English langu
Answer: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has published an accepted list of countries where English is a majority spoken language on its website. This is available at the following link:https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/joining-the-register/english-langua...
Answered 24 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPorts: PlanningDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112228More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2026 to Question 107165, in which month the final text of the National Policy Statement for Ports is expected to be published.
Answer: I expect the final text to be laid in March 2026.
Answered 17 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPregnancy: CannabisDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112227More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2026 to Question 108297, whether his Department holds any evidence on rates of neonatal and post-neonatal death, including accidental suffocation and overlaying
Answer: The Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK) programme is responsible for reviewing stillbirths and neonatal deaths across the United Kingdom to identify causes, improve clinical care, and redu...
Answered 20 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordAirports: Fees and ChargesDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112226More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2026 to Question 107163, what information her Department holds on airport kerbside drop-off charges.
Answer: There is no requirement for airports or airport car park providers to provide details of drop-off charges to the Department. We regularly engage with airports on surface access strategies and drop-off charges form part of these wider discussions. Informat...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUK Emissions Trading Scheme: FerriesDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112225More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2026 to Question 110095, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the absence of route-level ferry fare modelling risks on consumer price im
Answer: The Government has not undertaken route level ferry fare modelling for the UK ETS domestic maritime expansion. This is because, as we set out in the Impact Assessment, operators’ commercial decisions, vessel utilisation and fare structures vary widely. Th...
Answered 18 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112224More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her oral contribution of 9 December 2025 in the debate on the Railways Bill, Official Report, column 207, how the £150 million figure relates to the £663 million per year efficiency saving pro
Answer: The oral contribution on 9 December 2025 in the debate on the Railways Bill referred to savings from management and performance fees payable to private sector operators. These savings are factored into the Department's Spending Review settlement but are n...
Answered 23 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 112223More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 105896, whether equivalent gross efficiency and implementation cost breakdowns have been produced for other components of the Departmental Efficiency Plan,
Answer: As set out in the Departmental Efficiency Plan, the department plans to deliver efficiencies of £663m in 28/29. We do not currently hold a breakdown on how these efficiencies breakdown by gross efficiencies and implementation costs in regulated settlement...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Official HospitalityDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111874More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2026 to Question 107278, what items of hospitality were provided at that reception; and if she will publish the relevant food and drink invoices and procurement contracts.
Answer: The items of hospitality provided at the Department for Transport Operator Group’s (DFTO) parliamentary reception on 19 January 2026 were: canapés, tea and coffee, bottled water, and various soft drinks totalling £1,646.99. As this was below the contractu...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111873More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 108459 on Department for Transport: Artificial Intelligence, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of AI-enabled initiatives opera
Answer: Please see the previous response to Question 108459 which answers this question.
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordOffice of Rail and RoadDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 105894, what estimate the Department has made of the proportion of efficiency savings attributed to regulated settlements that arise from funding constraint
Answer: As set out in Question 105894, the Office for Rail and Road do not set funding constraints as these are determined via the overall funding settlement.
Answered 18 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Highways and Network Rail: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111871More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2026 to Question 105895 on National Highways and Network Rail: Finance, what estimate he has made of the net efficiency savings attributable to Network Rail after accounting
Answer: The technology and systems investments cited contribute to Network Rail’s £3.9 billion Control Period 7 efficiency target but their costs are not directly comparable, given that the investments confer benefits beyond financial efficiency as well as contri...
Answered 26 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordPublic Transport: ResearchDepartment for TransportTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111870More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's research and analysis document entitled Factors influencing multi-modal public transport use, published on 29 January 2026, what was the total cost of commissioning and produc
Answer: The research report on ‘Factors influencing multi-modal public transport use’ was published on 29 January 2026. The work was conducted in full by the external research contractor, Verian (previously Kantar) and was commissioned as part of the ‘TROO0282 - ...
Answered 25 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordUK Export Finance: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111869More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the cost to UK Export Finance was of mitigating operational emissions arising from (a) its office footprint and b) business travel in 2024-25.
Answer: UKEF’s office footprint is managed by the Government Property Agency, which is responsible for the provision of all energy and utility services. UKEF mitigates operational emissions arising from business travel through policies to reduce the cost of busin...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordFire and Rescue Services: DatabasesMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111868More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2026 to Question 108300, when the rollout of the Fire and Rescue Data Analysis Platform (FaRDAP) will be completed; and from what date Fire a
Answer: The Fire and Rescue Data Platform (FaRDaP) Version 1 was successfully rolled out to 48 Fire and Rescue Services in England, Scotland and Wales by 14 November 2025. At present, Fire and Rescue Services are not required to record whether fires involve lithi...
Answered 16 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordInsolvency Service: Climate ChangeDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 9 Feb 2026AnsweredUIN 111867More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2026 to Question 107769, what estimate he has made to the Insolvency Service of compliance with Net Zero, sustainability and climate-related disclosure requirements
Answer: I have made no such assessment, however the Insolvency Service’s total emissions have been reported in the Agency’s Annual Report and Accounts since 2012/13. Progress on wider sustainability requirements is reported quarterly to the Department for Busines...
Answered 12 Feb 2026
Original Parliament record
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