Richard Holden MP: written questions 2026
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Written questions
Furnaces: Port TalbotDepartment for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeTabled 28 Aug 2026AnsweredUIN 21957More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July to Question 18171 on Furnaces: Port Talbot, whether his Department had discussions with Tata on the country of origin of the electric arc furnace.
Answer: The Department engages regularly with Tata Steel on matters relating to the Port Talbot transition project to electric arc furnace steelmaking. Procurement decisions, including decisions on the sourcing and manufacture of equipment, are commercial matters...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordEuston Station: RegenerationDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19487More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to WPQ 17035, on what date will the Masterplan for Euston be published.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Answer of 16 July 2026 to Written question 16520.
Answered 3 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordLower Thames Crossing: TollsDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19486More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to WPQ 17032, at what level are the charges expected to be set for the Lower Thames Crossing.
Answer: The level of charges has not yet been set and is subject to ongoing analysis and development of the project. Under the Regulated Asset Base model, which is the government’s preferred funding structure for Lower Thames Crossing, the charge levels will be s...
Answered 3 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordMinibuses: Driving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to WPQ 18160, how many of the driving tests for D1 licenses that were conducted in each year were for people a.) 24 and under b.) 25 and over, when taking the test.
Answer: The table below shows the number of conducted D1 driving tests by customers aged 24 and under, and 25 and over. This data is also split by tests conducted by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and by delegated examiners. DVSADelegated 24 &...
Answered 8 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordLarge Goods Vehicles: Electric VehiclesDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19484More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2026 to Question 14939 on Large Goods Vehicles: Electric Vehicles, what use cases her Department considered when assessing the purchase price differential between diesel heavy
Answer: The assessment of purchase price differential was made by comparing zero-emission HGVs with diesel equivalents across the main heavy goods vehicle weight categories eligible for the Zero Emission Truck Grant, including rigid trucks from above 4.25 tonnes ...
Answered 3 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordNetwork Rail: BiodiversityDepartment for TransportTabled 16 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19483More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2026 to Question 15858 on Network Rail: Biodiversity, which sites or projects do the standard licenses for (a) badgers, (b) bats, (c) great crested wewts, (d) hazel dormice and
Answer: As protected species can be vulnerable to disturbance, persecution or collection Network Rail does not publicly publish a project or site list of where its protected species licences apply.
Answered 3 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Overseas WorkersForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 15 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19124More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the total expenditure on additional journeys for civil servants serving at qualifying hardship posts has been since 4 July 2024, broken down by department.
Answer: The requested data is not centrally held by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Answered 7 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordPhysical Education: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 15 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 19123More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary schools she estimates will receive less funding for PE and school sport under the Sport Partnerships Network than they would have received through the Primary PE and Sport Premium.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay to the answer of 21 August to Question 11571.
Answered 4 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordGovernment Communication Service: StaffDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18174More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2026 to Question 16056 on Government Communication Service: Staff, how many headcount staff in her Department are (a) members of the Government Communication Service and (b) are
Answer: For the 2026 Government Communication Service annual data collection return, the central Department for Transport reported 80.83 full-time equivalent staff headcount who are members of the Government Communication Service. All embedded communicators are m...
Answered 7 Aug 2026
Original Parliament recordNew Zealand: WarshipsMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18173More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what dates vessels of the a) British Army b) Royal Navy c) Royal Air Force visited New Zealand since 1 January 2020.
Answer: Vessels from the Royal Navy visited New Zealand on the below dates. DatePlaceVessel10–19 May 2023AucklandHMS SPEY20–23 May 2023WellingtonHMS SPEY19–22 Feb 2024AucklandHMS TAMAR25–29 Feb 2024DevonportHMS TAMAR7–11 Mar 2024AucklandHMS TAMAR22–28 Aug 2024Wel...
Answered 22 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordIndo-Pacific Region: Armed ForcesMinistry of DefenceTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18172More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking with the Government of New Zealand to ensure the UK Armed Forces play a present and active role in the Indo-Pacific region over the next 20 years.
Answer: The UK and New Zealand maintain a strong defence partnership and are committed to working together to enhance security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Through the Joint Statement on Enhanced Defence Cooperation, signed in September 2025 between ...
Answered 21 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordFurnaces: Port TalbotDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18171More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will set out (a) where the electric arc furnace being installed at Port Talbot was manufactured, (b) whether any UK-based companies were invited to bid to manufacture the furnace and (c) what ass
Answer: Tata Steel UK has contracted Tenova to supply the electric arc furnace (EAF) and associated equipment for Port Talbot.Procurement decisions are a commercial matter for Tata Steel, and the Department does not hold information on bidding processes. Governme...
Answered 15 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordNet Zero Teesside Power: Iron and SteelDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18170More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he made of requiring the structural steel used in the Net Zero Teesside carbon capture, utilisation and storage project to be (a) produced and (b) fabricated in the UK.
Answer: The Government knows it is important to communities across the country that we use UK-made steel. We are ambitious about increasing the use of UK made steel in UK energy and infrastructure projects where possible. Net Zero Teesside is not a public procure...
Answered 21 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: CCTVDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18169More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2026 to Question 16176 on Railways: CCTV, whether the funding allocated to the rail CCTV connectivity project represents (a) the total estimated cost of delivering the programm
Answer: Nearly £17 million has been allocated to this project up until 2029/30. The project is currently in its early stages, with Network Rail developing a Full Business Case for the entire programme which, once complete, may indicate that further funding is req...
Answered 4 Aug 2026
Original Parliament recordRolling StockDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18168More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many scheduled passenger services operated by each train operating company were formed of fewer carriages than planned in each month since June 2024.
Answer: The department monitors short formations based on the passenger capacity of the trains rather than the number of carriages. Attached is data for the number of short - formed services and the percentage based on what is monitored for each operator. Please ...
Answered 5 Aug 2026
Original Parliament recordRolling StockDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18167More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average daily percentage of rolling stock available for passenger service was for each train operating company in each month since June 2024.
Answer: The Department expects train operators to provide appropriate capacity to meet anticipated passenger demand, including through the effective deployment and maintenance of rolling stock. However, the Department is keen to ensure that the causes of short-fo...
Answered 4 Aug 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: IndiaDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18166More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2026 to Question 16088 on Department for Transport: India, what the (a) destination and (b) cost to the public purse was of each of the 12 additional journeys approved from the
Answer: The Department for Transport follows the hardship policy set by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, including the entitlement to additional journeys. Since 4 July 2024, 12 additional journeys have been approved from the Department's overseas...
Answered 3 Sept 2026
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Transport: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18165More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2026 to Question 15465 on Department for Transport: Carbon Emissions, when the Greening Government Commitments (2025–2030) will be finalised.
Answer: The finalisation and publication of the Greening Government Commitments (2025-2030) is a matter for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) and not for the Department f...
Answered 4 Aug 2026
Original Parliament recordRoad Traffic OffencesDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18164More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on how much revenue each local authority in England received from traffic enforcement in each of the last three financial years.
Answer: This information is not held by central government.
Answered 21 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHeathrow Airport: Capital InvestmentDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18163More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Heathrow Airport's current economic regulatory framework to provide incentives for investment in infrastructure resilience.
Answer: The Civil Aviation Authority is the independent economic regulator of Heathrow Airport and is responsible for establishing the regulatory framework within which Heathrow operates. The framework is intended to provide incentives for efficient investment, i...
Answered 10 Aug 2026
Original Parliament recordHammersmith Bridge: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18162More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether (a) Transport for London, (b) the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and (c) the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames have, individually or jointly, submitted (i) an expression of interest and (
Answer: As the asset owner and project lead, the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is responsible for submitting any application to the Structures Fund. Local highway authorities have until 3 August 2026 to put forward proposals for investment. My Departme...
Answered 21 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRailways: InfrastructureDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18161More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2026 to Question 12229 on Railways: Infrastructure, what the total number is of rail infrastructure projects in England with an anticipated capital cost of less than £50 million
Answer: Of the rail infrastructure projects in England currently delivering on site with an anticipated capital cost of less than £50 million, 144 projects are forecasting completion after their original baseline completion date, out of a total of approximately 5...
Answered 10 Aug 2026
Original Parliament recordBuses: Driving TestsDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18160More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many category D1 (minibus) practical driving tests have been conducted by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency in each of the last 30 years.
Answer: The table below shows the number of category D1 minibus tests conducted by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and by delegated examiners for each year for which data is available. YearDVSADelegated examinersTotal2013330367039732014295486838222...
Answered 16 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployees' ContributionsTreasuryTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18159More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HMRC's policy paper entitled Salary sacrifice reform for pension contributions, published on 4 December 2025, if she will publish the calculation underpinning the estimate that the mean average add
Answer: Further detail on the methodology and assumptions used to produce the fiscal impact of the measure can be found in the OBR’s “Supplementary forecast information on salary-sacrifice pension contributions” publication, which includes breakdowns of the costi...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRoad TrafficDepartment for TransportTabled 13 Jul 2026AnsweredUIN 18158More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of (a) the total hours of delay to road users, (b) the number of road users affected and (c) the economic cost of traffic disruption resulting from incidents on the strateg
Answer: National Highways routinely publishes data on delays on strategic road network links https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/travel-time-reporting-tool/. National Highways have previously published estimates of the causes of delay on the SRN, which inclu...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament record
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