Richard Holden MP: written questions
2152 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Employment Schemes: Neurodiversity and Young PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 24 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93775More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a new frequency trial being is being implemented in Jobcentres under which claimants including young people aged (i) under 24, (ii) under 30 and (iii) those with neurodivergent conditions are re
Answer: I refer the Rt. Hon. member to the answer I gave on 23 October to PQ 82987.
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAnimal Welfare: StandardsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 24 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93774More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what enforcement powers are available when local authorities fail to meet minimum animal welfare standards.
Answer: In cases of local authorities’ failure to meet animal welfare standards, Defra retains the necessary powers and scope to intervene under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Safety BarriersDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93461More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many kilometres of life-expired steel barrier have been replaced with concrete barrier on the Strategic Road Network in each of the last four years excluding upgrades delivered through the Smart Motorways P
Answer: Through its renewals programme, National Highways has delivered 52.6 kilometres of concrete barrier over the last four years and are projecting to deliver a further 14 kilometres of concrete barrier in 2025-26. This is excluding upgrades delivered through...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Safety BarriersDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93460More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Departures from Standard have been granted to permit the replacement of life-expired steel barrier with further steel barrier in the last two years; and what the kilometre length is of steel barrier co
Answer: A total of four Departures from Standards have been granted to permit the replacement of life-expired steel barrier with further steel barrier in the last two years, covering a total length of 12.22km.
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Safety BarriersDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93459More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Interim Settlement: Investment and Management of the Strategic Road Network from April 2025 to March 2026, what the estimated quantity is of life-expired steel barrier that will be replace
Answer: For the Interim Settlement period of 2025-2026, National Highways are currently forecasting to deliver 14 kilometres of concrete barrier replacing life-expired steel barrier.
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: Chiltern RailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93458More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of Chiltern Railways’ decision to adopt driver-only operation on the Oxford to Milton Keynes section of East West Rail on the future operati
Answer: In line with the Government's priorities for rail reform, the design work for the future of rail services in Britain is focused on improvements for passengers, better value for taxpayers and the key themes of reliability, affordability, efficiency, qualit...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: Electric VehiclesMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93457More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many electric vehicles (a) manufactured by Chinese companies and (b) containing Chinese-made critical components are in use across the defence estate.
Answer: This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: Electric VehiclesMinistry of DefenceTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93456More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to rule out the future (a) leasing and (b) purchase of electric vehicles manufactured by Chinese companies.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes the security of defence assets very seriously, and is working with other government departments to understand and mitigate any potential threats to national security from vehicles. Our policies and procedures take accou...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordActive TravelDepartment for TransportTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93455More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether it is her Department's policy that 50% of journeys in towns and cities should be walked or cycled by 2030.
Answer: The second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, which ended in March 2025, included an objective that 50% of short journeys in towns and cities should be walked or cycled by 2030. The consultation on the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy w...
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93454More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on (a) planned capital investment in the UK automotive sector, (b) the economies of areas with substantial automotive m
Answer: On Monday 21 October 2024, the Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Bill [Employment Rights Bill: impact assessments - GOV.UK]. The assessment provides analysis of the potential costs and benefits...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93453More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on SME firms within UK automotive supply chains; and whether his Department has undertaken any separate modelling of th
Answer: On Monday 21 October 2024, the Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Bill [Employment Rights Bill: impact assessments - GOV.UK]. The assessment provides analysis of the potential costs and benefits...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93452More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on (a) UK automotive manufacturers and (b) their domestic supply chains; and whether he has estimated the (
Answer: On Monday 21 October 2024, the Government published a comprehensive package of analysis on the impact of the Employment Rights Bill [Employment Rights Bill: impact assessments - GOV.UK]. The assessment provides analysis of the potential costs and benefits...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93451More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what formal consultation his Department has undertaken with (a) UK automotive manufacturers and (b) their UK-based supply-chain firms on the Employment Rights Bill; what representations his Department
Answer: The Government is committed to engaging closely with employers throughout the development and implementation of Make Work Pay. Officials meet regularly with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to discuss the Employment Rights Bill, as well as o...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordActive Travel: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93266More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to the £616 million capital allocation for active travel announced on 3 November, if she will publish a breakdown of that funding by programme, scheme and spending category, including the amount allocat
Answer: In the Spending Review we announced that we are allocating £616 million for Active Travel England from 2026-27 to 2029-30 to support local authorities to build and maintain walking and cycling infrastructure. Further details concerning specific programmes...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93261More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost to the public purse is of UK transport-sector decarbonisation policies relating to (a) the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate for cars and vans, (b) HGV decarbonisation programmes, (c) bus an
Answer: The transition to zero emission vehicles, including cars, vans and HGVs, received £1.8bn in the spending review settlement, which is additional to the £320m allocated at Autumn Budget 2024.£40m was allocated for zero emission bus projects through the Zero...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: Exhaust EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93260More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2025 to Question 83389 on Transport: Exhaust Emissions, if she will provide a breakdown of the remaining 33.7MtCO2e by mode, including (a) HGVs, (b) buses and coaches, (c) r
Answer: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes estimates of UK greenhouse gas emissions annually. The most recent accredited official statistics cover the period 1990 to 2023 and are available online as part of the UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions s...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93257More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which UK automotive manufacturers and tier-one suppliers Ministers and officials have met to discuss the provisions of the Employment Rights Bill since 1 July 2024; on what dates those meetings took pl
Answer: The Government is committed to engaging closely with employers throughout the development and implementation of Make Work Pay. Officials meet regularly with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to discuss the Employment Rights Bill, as well as o...
Answered 26 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93252More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) what steps her Department is taking to ensure consistent national safeguarding standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, including (i) DBS checks, (ii) knowledge and safeguarding tests and (iii)
Answer: On Tuesday 18 November, the Government tabled an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to seek a power for the Secretary of State to set in regulations the national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93250More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when her Department last met (a) the Mayor of Greater Manchester, (b) combined authorities and (c) other local authorities to discuss potential reforms to taxi licensing across local authority boundaries; when
Answer: Department for Transport Ministers and officials meet regularly with a range of stakeholders and discuss various issues relating to taxi and private hire vehicle licensing policy. The Department is aware of the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s campaign entit...
Answered 27 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordTaxis: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93249More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to chapter 7 and recommendation 11 of Baroness Casey's independent report entitled National audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, published on 16 June 2025, what assessment he
Answer: The Department has been actively looking at safeguarding and regulatory reform in relation to taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs). Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse added valuable evidence to this ongoin...
Answered 28 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93247More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test centres recorded the maximum waiting time of 24 weeks for a practical car driving test in each month from July 2023 to October 2025; and if he will list those centres.
Answer: The national average waiting time for a car practical driving test in October 2025 was 21.9 weeks. There were four test centres in total where the waiting time for a practical car driving test was 24 weeks for each month from July 2023 to October 2025. Th...
Answered 28 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordDriving Tests: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93246More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78713 on Driving Tests: Waiting Lists, what the national average car driving test waiting time was in weeks in October 2025.
Answer: The national average waiting time for a car practical driving test in October 2025 was 21.9 weeks. There were four test centres in total where the waiting time for a practical car driving test was 24 weeks for each month from July 2023 to October 2025. Th...
Answered 28 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLevel CrossingsDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93226More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what performance indicators her Department uses to assess level-crossing down-time; whether she plans to introduce maximum permitted barrier down-time standards; and if she will publish annual statistics on ave
Answer: My Department does not use performance indicators to assess down-time at level crossings, nor does it plan to publish annual statistics on these. These decisions are the responsibility of Network Rail, which has a statutory duty to ensure the safe managem...
Answered 28 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLevel CrossingsDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93225More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of i) timetable planning, ii) signalling and iii) freight pathing margins on barrier down-times at level crossings; and how Network Rail monitors and reports
Answer: Network Rail is responsible for assessing the impact of timetable changes, freight paths and upgrades to signalling on level crossing down-time, as part of its overall management of level crossings on the rail network. These arrangements are kept under re...
Answered 28 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordLevel CrossingsDepartment for TransportTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93224More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department holds information on a) the average barrier down-time at each public highway level crossing in England, b) the five crossings with the longest average down-times in the most recent year,
Answer: The Department does not hold this information.
Answered 28 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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