Richard Holden MP: written questions 2025
1652 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Construction: Mental Health ServicesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22704More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to ensure the availability of positive mental health initiatives including (a) on-site mental health resources, (b) training for employers in mental health first aid and (c) helpl
Answer: Considerable investment has been made in improving mental health in the construction sector. Since 2018, the Construction Industry Training Board has supported 950 employers and invested over £1.5m in mental health projects, including training mental heal...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordConstruction: Vocational EducationDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22703More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department provides support programs including (a) appropriate training, (b) mentorship and (c) career pathways to encourage young people to enter the construction sector.
Answer: This government is working to create a clear, flexible, high-quality skills system that supports people of all ages, breaking down the barriers to opportunity and driving economic growth.The department has already established Skills England to ensure we h...
Answered 20 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordOffences against ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 8 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22702More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) national and (b) local inquiries have been carried out into rape grooming gangs.
Answer: It is essential that we continue to learn from past failings on group-based Child Sexual Exploitation to improve and strengthen our ongoing response to grooming gangs offending.The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), led by Professor Alex...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordOverseas Trade: Northern IrelandDepartment for TransportTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 902095More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve trade links between Northern Ireland and the channel ports.
Answer: The Department for Transport is supporting Great Britain–Northern Ireland maritime freight connectivity through implementation of the Windsor Framework to streamline goods movement.
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordIntelligence Services: Unpaid WorkCabinet OfficeTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22360More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any internship programmes at (a) MI5, (b) M16 and (c) GCHQ were open to people from white British backgrounds.
Answer: Yes. In recent years, UKIC has run a number of internships and placement schemes. They are designed to provide insight about what it is like to work in UKIC to individuals who have particular skills and expertise, want to work in a particular area and/or ...
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Unpaid WorkDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22359More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Environment Agency plans to run an internship programme which is open to people from white British backgrounds in 2025.
Answer: The Environment Agency offers several career entry opportunities open to people from all ethnic backgrounds (including White British backgrounds) who meet the criteria of the specific programme. In 2025 these programmes include: Industry Placements (tempo...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Unpaid WorkDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22358More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 21057 on Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Unpaid Work, if he will list each internship scheme operated by (a) hi
Answer: Defra has participated in the following annual programmes for a minimum of three years: Cabinet Office led internship programmes: Summer Internship Programme (6-8 weeks) : 2024 - 41 internsAutism Exchange Internship Programme (4 weeks) : 2024 - 6 interns ...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordElections: Proof of IdentityMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22102More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the increase in the number of veterans able to vote due to the introduction of the Veterans ID card as voter ID.
Answer: All veterans eligible to vote already have the opportunity to do so. If they do not have one of the accepted forms of identification, they are able to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, free of charge, or they can choose to vote by post or by proxy....
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: Small BusinessesMinistry of DefenceTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22101More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of changes to (a) Business Property Relief and (b) employer National Insurance contributions on SMEs in the defence sector.
Answer: The Ministry of Defence recognises the vital contribution that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) make within the defence industry, and we have a long-standing commitment to improve our engagement with such suppliers in order to broaden and strengthen ou...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHereditary Diseases: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 6 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22100More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 January 2025 to Question 19417 on Genetics: Diseases, how much funding was provided by NHS England to the Genetic Risk Equity project; and what that funding was used for
Answer: The project began in 2022/23, with total spend being £2.7 million. The following table showing the breakdown by year and to the nearest £100,000:YearSpend (£)2024/251,000,0002023/241,000,0002022/23700,000Source: NHS EnglandNote: The funding was spent on a...
Answered 9 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMarriage: RelativesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21701More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the (a) cost and (b) incidence of cousin marriage.
Answer: The Government has not carried out an assessment of health costs resulting from cousin marriage. The Department also does not hold data on the incidence of cousin marriage.
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMaternity Services: NursesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21700More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 23 December 2024 to Question 19416 on Maternity Services: Nurses, if his Department will make an estimate of the number of close relative marriage neonatal nurses there ar
Answer: The Department has no plans to make such an estimate.
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordGonorrhoea: Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21699More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the (a) average and (b) maximum cost to the NHS was of untreated gonorrhoea in the latest year for which data is available; and what assessment he has made of the impact of this on the NHS.
Answer: The information requested is not held centrally.
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordGonorrhoeaDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21698More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of gonorrhoea have been diagnosed in each of the last 30 years.
Answer: The following table shows the number of gonorrhoea diagnoses in sexual health services in England between 1994 and 2023:YearNumber of gonorrhoea diagnoses19949,63119959,890199611,828199712,332199812,457199915,450200020,297200122,198200224,123200323,346200...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordVoting Rights: Foreign NationalsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21697More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many people with citizenship of other countries can vote in UK elections; of which countries such people hold citizenship; which elections they are eligible to vote in; and w
Answer: Electoral statistics are not available broken down by citizenship.The franchise for UK Parliamentary elections, Northern Ireland Assembly elections, local government elections in England and Northern Ireland and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in ...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordTobacco: SmugglingDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21696More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the implementation of a generational ban on tobacco sales on trends in the level of (a) counterfeit cigarettes and (b) contraband cigarettes b
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bridlington and The Wolds on 11 December 2024 to Question UIN 17992.
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordTobacco: SalesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21695More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether additional powers will be made available to law enforcement officers to penalise (a) barber shops, (b) off-licences, (c) bookmakers, (d) pubs and (e) other non-grocery and non-newsagent pre
Answer: The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will put us on track to a smoke-free United Kingdom, helping to reduce around 80,000 preventable deaths and reduce the burden on the National Health Service and on the taxpayer.Whilst the published impact assessment on the Bill ...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordTobacco: SalesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21694More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on the illegal sale of tobacco products in (a) non-grocery and (b) non-newsagent premises.
Answer: The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will put us on track to a smoke-free United Kingdom, helping to reduce around 80,000 preventable deaths and reduce the burden on the National Health Service and on the taxpayer.Whilst the published impact assessment on the Bill ...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordUnpaid Work: DiscriminationWomen and EqualitiesTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21693More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question HL2771 on Civil Servants: Recruitment and pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2024 to Question 14502 on Gender: Equality, if she will issue guidanc
Answer: The Equality Act 2010 (The Act) provides protections for people from discrimination in the workplace and in society. It makes it unlawful to treat someone unfairly or discriminate against anyone based on certain personal characteristics. This includes rac...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic ExpenditureTreasuryTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21692More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of efficiency savings she plans to require of Government departments in each year of the Spending Review Phase 2 in order to meet her planned 5% savings over this Parliament; and what assessment she
Answer: In developing their plans for the Spending Review departments will need to find 5% savings and efficiencies against their current budgets, to help drive out waste and ensure all funding is focused on the Government’s priorities. The Government will set ou...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: StaffCabinet OfficeTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21691More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff in his Department have undertaken two consecutive jobs without external competition since 3 July 2024.
Answer: The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: TrainingCabinet OfficeTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21690More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 2 May 2023 to Question 182119 on Cabinet Office: Training, if he will take steps to encourage other public sector employers to phase out unconscious bias training.
Answer: The government is committed to an evidence based approach to training. In 2021 the previous administration published a report on the efficacy of unconscious bias training with recommendations on alternative approaches to support workforce equality. At the...
Answered 16 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordEuropean Court of JusticeCabinet OfficeTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21689More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to discuss the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in negotiations on changes to the EU-UK relationship.
Answer: There has been no change in the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice rulings in relation to the UK. We are also clear that we will not be re-joining the Single Market, the Customs Union or Freedom of Movement.
Answered 14 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPolitical Parties: DiscriminationWomen and EqualitiesTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21688More
Question: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question 16341 on Political Parties: Discrimination, if she will issue guidance on the distinction between philosophical and political belief.
Answer: The Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued guidance and codes of practice covering philosophical belief. What is and is not a political belief as opposed to a philosophical belief is a question that is for individuals to consider and, if necessar...
Answered 13 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHome Office: SanitationHome OfficeTabled 3 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 21687More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to remove the gender-neutral toilets in her Department in Marsham Street.
Answer: The current number and location of gender neutral toilets in the Home Office’s Marsham office was established under the previous government in October 2017, at a cost of £36,963.20, and has remained unchanged since that time.There are no plans to spend fu...
Answered 8 Jan 2025
Original Parliament record
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