Richard Holden MP: written questions 2026
1407 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Elections: BasildonMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102883More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the postponement or delay of the 2025 Basildon Borough Council elections was discussed during the meeting between Baroness Taylor and Basildon Borough Council councillors
Answer: As would be expected, topics relating to local government reorganisation were raised with the Minister, including 2026 elections. We have invited Basildon Borough Council and other councils undergoing local government reorganisation to set out their views...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRegional Airports: Air RoutesDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102882More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2025 to Question 96341, what consideration her Department has given to funding Public Service Obligation air routes between UK airports which do not involve the service sta
Answer: In December 2023, the Department for Transport published updated Public Service Obligation (PSO) guidance extending support to region-to-region PSOs which removes the historical requirement for eligible PSO routes to operate into London.Region-to-region P...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Local GovernmentDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102881More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2025 to Question 96490, how much revenue the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency received in 2024-25 from a) local authorities, and b) agents acting on behalf of local auth
Answer: The information requested is not readily available and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordIron and Steel: EnergyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102880More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2025 to Question 95965, what assessment his Department has made of whether the £8 to £13 per tonne electricity cost differential faced by UK steel producers reflect
Answer: The energy intensity factor used only relates to the production of crude or liquid steel, which is not further treated or rolled into specific products. The electricity cost differential per tonne of steel between specific plants will depend on various fa...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDrax Power: ContractsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102879More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether Drax’s current Contract for Difference contains any binding obligations requiring the development and deployment of carbon capture and storage; and what assessment his Department has
Answer: The current Contract for Difference (CfD) and recently announced Low-Carbon Dispatchable CfD agreements will be in place until 2031 and do not include contractual requirements for the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) at the site. The focus ...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFiresMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102878More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he plans to take with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle wildfires in 2026.
Answer: The Government recognises that the impact of climate change is likely to increase and intensify fire incidents in England and Wales – with potential to impact fire and rescue service’s (FRS) resources, capacity, and strategical response. As the lead gover...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPeatlandsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the modified heather dominated upland peat managed by Natural England is degraded.
Answer: Natural England manages 7,865 hectares of upland peat areas with a mosaic of dwarf shrub heath and blanket bog vegetation types. The latest condition assessments report that whilst 15% is unfavourable, either with no signs of change or declining, 72% is u...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHigh Speed 2 Line: Environmental Impact AssessmentDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102876More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 96800, on what dates each HS2 environmental assessment published since 4 July 2024 was published, and to provide a link to each document, in accordance wit
Answer: HS2 Environmental Assessments published since 4 July 2024 are available on www.gov.uk alongside their corresponding publication dates here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-environmental-sustainability-progress-report- https://www.gov.uk/gov...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHigh Speed 2 Line: Environmental Impact AssessmentDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102875More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 96800, what the cost was of each of the following HS2 environmental assessments published since 4 July 2024: a) the Environmental Sustainability Progress R
Answer: HS2 Ltd and its supply chain undertake routine environmental assessments throughout design and construction to confirm compliance with the High Speed Rail (London – West Midlands) Act, the HS2 Environmental Minimum Requirements, and other commitments and...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordVehicle Number Plates: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102874More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99978, when she expects the Government to publish its response to the public consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e.
Answer: The consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e was carried out by the British Standards Institution and the BSI is responsible for publishing the response to the consultation. The current penalty for using an incorrect or non-compliant number plate...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordVehicle Number Plates: FinesDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102873More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99930, what the current maximum fine is for the use of incorrect or non-compliant vehicle number plates; and whether she has made any assessment of the det
Answer: The consultation on proposed amendments to BS AU 145e was carried out by the British Standards Institution and the BSI is responsible for publishing the response to the consultation. The current penalty for using an incorrect or non-compliant number plate...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99925, what assumptions were used to estimate that the funding increases described will enable local authorities to fill an additional one million potholes
Answer: The estimate is based on the industry assumption that the national average cost of repairing a pothole is approximately £70. Using this figure, the £7.3 billion of funding from 2026/27 - 2029/30 would enable local authorities to fix millions of additional...
Answered 22 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102871More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2025 to Question 99840, whether she will publish the full cost-benefit analysis underpinning the Government’s assessment of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, including all
Answer: A full, final cost-benefit analysis was published alongside the VETS order 2023 on Gov.UK.A projection of the overall costs falling to government from the policy were not estimated as part of this assessment.
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHereditary DiseasesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102870More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2025 to Question 99967, whether he will place copies of the training modules on close relative marriage and genetic risk for midwives and health visitors, and
Answer: There are no plans to place the training modules on close relative marriage and genetic risk for midwives and health visitors, or the associated guidance on submitting data on consanguinity and pregnancy to the Maternity Services Dataset, in the library o...
Answered 19 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS England: Carbon EmissionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102869More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 22 December 2025 to Question 99799, whether NHS England has adopted a net zero target date for the National Health Service that differs from the United Kingdom’s statutory
Answer: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided to him on 27 November 2025 to Question 92091 which set out the National Health Service’s Net Zero ambitions. Additionally, the answer provided to Queston 99799 on 22 December 2025 is clear that NHS England’s ...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFuels: PricesDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102868More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the press release entitled Fuel margins remain “persistently high” and this is not explained by operating costs, CMA finds, published on 22 December 2025, what steps he is t
Answer: The Government notes the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) annual road fuel monitoring report. Addressing the CMA’s findings, the Government is implementing Fuel Finder, a statutory open data scheme for road fuel prices to improve price transparen...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 5 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 102867More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) British Board of Agrément and (b) HAPAS-approved (i) self-adhesive surfacing membranes and (ii) other patch repair products on the long-ter
Answer: The Government welcomes innovations that can help local highway authorities maintain their roads more effectively and efficiently. The Department encourages and supports innovation in road surface repairs in various ways.For example, it has started the t...
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service: FinanceHome OfficeTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101864More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Department has made of whether funding arrangements for NaVCIS are adequate to meet levels of operational demand across the freight and logistics sector.
Answer: We fully recognise the serious and growing threat that freight crime poses to businesses, drivers, and the wider economy.The Government does not fund NaVCIS. Instead NaVCIS is funded by industry, including finance and leasing companies, insurers and hauli...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal Welfare: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101863More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department plans to have with animal welfare charities and sector bodies ahead of the consultation on licensing rescue and rehoming organisations; and if Ministers
Answer: Defra will engage with stakeholders, including animal welfare groups, as part of the consultation process on its proposals for licensing rescue and rehoming centres. Defra welcomes the input of interested parties and will maintain communication with these...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal Welfare: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101862More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to have discussions with devolved Administrations on their experiences of developing proposals for licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations.
Answer: Defra works closely with the devolved governments on a range of shared priorities and will discuss any relevant matters as necessary.
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal Welfare: LicensingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101861More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations will be launched; and what her planned timetable is for its conclusion and response.
Answer: As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, the Government will launch a consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations in due course.
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCycleways: Road Signs and MarkingsDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101860More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on standardising signage for national and local cycle routes; and whether she plans to introduce a national approach to cycle route signage.
Answer: Signing for national and local cycle routes has been standardised since 1981. Current signs are prescribed in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. Active Travel England routinely checks signage quality on their route check tool, to m...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPedestrian CrossingsDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101859More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to introduce legislation to permit the use of side road zebra crossings in England; and what assessment her Department has made of the safety and cost-effectiveness of those crossings.
Answer: The Department is considering options for future legislative change to permit the use of side road zebra crossings in England, but no decisions have yet been made. An amendment to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 (TSRGD) would be ...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat Western Railway: Rolling StockDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101858More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of rolling stock availability for Great Western Railway services in the South West; how many Class 175 units are in operation on Great Western Railway ser
Answer: The Department closely monitors rolling stock availability across the South West as well as the wider network, and is working on a rolling stock strategy to more effectively plan and utilise assets in future. There is currently one Class 175 unit in opera...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordEating Disorders: Young PeopleDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101857More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 94028, whether he plans to (a) implement the recommendations of Lord Darzi’s report on eating disorders and (b) set future targets to improve
Answer: Lord Darzi conducted an independent investigation into the National Health Service in England. He did not issue a report on eating disorders and in his independent investigation, in line with the agreed terms of reference, made no specific policy recommen...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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