Richard Holden MP: written questions 2025
1652 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Ministers: Visits AbroadCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43123More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has issued guidance to Ministers on whether they may undertake personal visits whilst on official Ministerial visits overseas.
Answer: Guidance on overseas visits by Ministers is found in Chapter 10 of the Ministerial Code.
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record10 Downing Street: FurnitureCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43122More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many lecterns are (a) held by Downing Street and (b) on loan from Downing Street to other public bodies.
Answer: Downing Street holds 7 lecterns, all of which were inherited from previous governments.
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTrade UnionsDepartment for EducationTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43121More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the minutes of meetings that she has had with each trade union since 5 July 2025.
Answer: The department assumes that there is an error in the question, and the right hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay means 5 July 2024. The details of all my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s external meetings are routinely publish...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHonours: ForfeitureCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43120More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the guidance entitled Having honours taken away (forfeiture), published on 27 December 2017, whether political views may be grounds for the removal of an honour.
Answer: Honours can be revoked if an individual is deemed to have brought the honours system into disrepute. Each case is considered on its own merits, but holding a particular political viewpoint would not be grounds for forfeiture.
Answered 1 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMinisters: Codes of PracticeCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43119More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 1.5 of the Ministerial Code, published on 6 November 2024, whether civil service workplace standards are used to interpret these requirements; and whether the Prime Minister is respon
Answer: The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of behaviour which the Prime Minister expects of ministers. As set out at paragraph 2.1, the Prime Minister is the ultimate judge of those standards of behaviour and of the appropriate consequences for any breac...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPrime Minister: SignalCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43118More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether officials in Downing Street use the Signal app.
Answer: Ministers and officials use a range of communication methods and there are longstanding appropriate arrangements and guidance in place for the management of electronic communications.
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNatural England: SumUpDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43117More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Defra: spending over £500, January 2025, published on 21 March 2025, what Natural England purchased from Sumup Event Bar Spar in
Answer: The expenditure detailed relates to a Christmas meal hospitality event held to recognise the contributions of volunteers at Fenn’s, Whixall, and Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve. The total cost of £1,462.50 was processed for payment in January 2...
Answered 16 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordNatural England: AmazonDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43116More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Defra: spending over £500, January 2025, published on 21 March 2025, what Natural England purchased from Amazon Marketplace on 3
Answer: The expenditure detailed relates to the purchase of equipment for public use (binoculars and a spotting scope) for a project at Goss Moor. The connecting people with nature project enables the public a closer view and experience of wildlife on the Nationa...
Answered 16 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironment Agency: ExpenditureDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43115More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Defra: spending over £500, January 2025, published on 21 March 2025, what the Environment Agency purchased from VAT: GB 69544938
Answer: On 14 January 2025, the Environment Agency purchased training for qualifying staff who hold a professional qualification provided by the Institute of Asset Management. The training was provided by Asset Management Consulting Limited, described on the publ...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironment Agency: Calder ConferencesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43114More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s publication entitled Defra: spending over £500, January 2025, published on 21 March 2025, what the Environment Agency purchased in the 95 transaction
Answer: In January 2025 the 95 transactions to Calders by the Environment Agency relate to its corporate contract for the provision of external meeting rooms and conference facilities. The dates in January relate to payment date and the provision of meeting rooms...
Answered 17 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordBetting: RegulationTreasuryTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43113More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what powers the Financial Conduct Authority has to regulate sports spread bets; and whether those powers have changed since the implementation of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
Answer: Under the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) 2000, HM Treasury is responsible for determining the perimeter of financial services regulation, with the approval of Parliament. This is chiefly achieved by specifying the financial services activities ...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordProperty: TaxationTreasuryTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43106More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the guidance entitled Property business arrangements involving hybrid partnerships (Spotlight 63) was published on 4 October 2023; whether her Department prepared an impact assessment for that guidan
Answer: HMRC tackles avoidance schemes by directly challenging promoters and by informing and educating taxpayers. This includes for example, targeted educational campaigns for taxpayers, spotlight publications which provide an early warning to taxpayers of marke...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 1 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 43086More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29019 on Civil Servants: Recruitment, what is the process by which a Minister can request a department (a) appoint and (b) consider appointing a specific in
Answer: The Civil Service Recruitment principles outline the process by which grades below SCS can be appointed without fair and open competition. This includes guidance about the involvement of Ministers in the recruitment process. The process and approach remai...
Answered 9 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFreedom of Information and Parliamentary QuestionsCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42823More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2025 to Question 32268 on Freedom of Information and Parliamentary Questions: Impact Assessment, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that information which is rout
Answer: The information that is published in response to Parliamentary Questions is handled on a case by case basis, as is the information that is published in response to any request under the Freedom of Information Act. The Cabinet Office takes seriously both i...
Answered 10 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign Investment in UK: National SecurityCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42821More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 20702 on Foreign Investment in UK: National Security, if he will publish mitigation measures taken as a result of final orders issued in the last year with th
Answer: The Government publishes notices of final orders made on GOV.UK - this includes cases that are blocked, unwound, or cleared subject to conditions. The notices include a high level summary of what mitigation measures are imposed on the parties.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Redundancy PayCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42820More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has issued guidance to (a) the civil service and (b) arm’s length bodies on paying back severance payments if civil servants made redundant rejoin the (a) civil service, (b) NHS and (c) wider public s
Answer: Whilst the NHS and some wider public sector organisations will have their own arrangements, any individual who leaves under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, and later returns to the same organisation, or another one that uses the Civil ...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: StandardsCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42819More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question HL4631 on Cabinet Office: Standards, if he will publish that template.
Answer: His Majesty's Government can confirm that:As was the case under the previous administration, the template is intended solely for internal departmental use and will not be released publicly.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Public OpinionCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42818More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance he has issued on efficiency savings through reducing spending on public opinion research.
Answer: The Prime Minister has set out his ambition to deliver long-term, impactful changes to reshape the British state and the Government is taking forward a number of measures to deliver greater efficiency and transformation in the Civil Service. The Governmen...
Answered 6 May 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: PayCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42817More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 14354 on Civil Servants: Pay, what the budget for civil service pay is (a) including and (b) excluding National insurance employer contributions in (i) 2024
Answer: Departments are responsible for pay, terms and conditions of civil servants, within the parameters set out in the Civil Service Pay Remit Guidance, this includes setting budgets for annual increases for its own workforce. Salary data for the Civil Service...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPermanent Secretaries: Conditions of EmploymentCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42816More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether (a) Permanent Secretaries and (b) Second Permanent Secretaries are employed on fixed term contracts.
Answer: The majority of Permanent Secretaries (First and Second) are permanent civil servants, on permanent contracts. Exceptionally, fixed term contracts may be offered to external candidates, for example in the case of specialist roles. When appointed to a Perm...
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMariana MazzucatoCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42814More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2024 to Question 7760 on Marian Mazzucato, whether she is an adviser to the Government in any other capacity.
Answer: Ministers regularly liaise with a wide range of stakeholders. Mariana Mazzucato is not employed within government as a special adviser. Nor does she hold a position in a role as a regulated public appointee.
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFair Work Agency: StatisticsCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42813More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government plans to lay a new Official Statistics Order to designate the Fair Work Agency’s statistical outputs as official statistics.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 31st March is attached.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: Public AppointmentsDepartment for TransportTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42812More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether appointments to Great British Railways will be included in the Public Bodies Order in Council; and whether the Chair will be classified as a Significant Appointment.
Answer: After the Railways Bill is scrutinised by Parliament, and as part of the design of Great British Railways, we will consider whether to propose an amendment to the Public Bodies Order in Council. We expect that the GBR Chair will be classed as a significa...
Answered 8 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British RailwaysCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42811More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's guidance entitled Public Bodies Handbook – Part 2: The Approvals Process for the Creation of New Arm’s-Length Bodies, whether his Department's public bodies team assessed Great
Answer: The Department for Transport is currently working through the approval process to establish Great British Railways as an Arm’s Length Body. The completion of business cases as part of this process considers viable delivery mechanisms and the three tests.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment People Group: Gender and SexualityCabinet OfficeTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42808More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 15471 on Office for Equality and Opportunity: Gender and Sexuality, whether the Civil Service People Group formally recognises any (a) genders, (b) sexual o
Answer: Data collection on gender identities, genders or sexual orientation is delegated to departments.
Answered 7 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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