Richard Holden MP: written questions
2152 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Prison AccommodationMinistry of JusticeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71240More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 29554 on Prison Accommodation, how many prison places were created as a result of crowding between (a) May 1997 and (b) 2010.
Answer: The previous Labour Government added nearly 28,000 places to the prison estate between 1997 and 2010. However, available records do not provide a breakdown for these figures of these places by category. It is therefore not possible to provide the number o...
Answered 5 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSchool ChoiceDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71239More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued guidance to local authorities in England on the impact of changes to VAT on independent schools on school places.
Answer: HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) on applying VAT to independent school fees, which includes the government’s estimations of the number of pupils expected to enter the state sector as a result of this policy. The TIIN is avail...
Answered 3 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordBuses and Large Goods Vehicles: LicensingDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71238More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to respond to the consultation entitled Amendments to licensing restrictions: bus, coach and heavy goods vehicles, which closed on 5 June 2024.
Answer: The previous government consulted on proposals to amend licensing restrictions which would enable 18- to 20-year-olds to drive a bus and coach over 50km when driving a regular service and to enable some of the tests required to be passed in order to gain ...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHouse of Lords Appointments CommissionCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71237More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 66291 on House of Lords Appointments Commission, for what reason members of the Commission have not been appointed.
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer to Question 66291, which sets out when the campaign was launched and subsequently closed to applications. The Government announced on 19 August 2025 that, as a result of the campaign, Professor Adeeba Malik CBE DL had ...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordArms Length Bodies: EqualityCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71236More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 64566 on Arms Length Bodies, whether exempted expenditure will be published in one location; how it will be published; and when it will be published.
Answer: Expenditure which is exempted under the requirements of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Expenditure Guidance must be reported to the Cabinet Office by departments and ALBs who employ civil servants. Reported expenditure is published annually.
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordDisaster Relief and Emergencies: EqualityCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71235More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2025 to Question 63336 on Disaster Relief and Emergencies: Equality, for what reason sex and gender are collated as separate indicators.
Answer: Sex and gender reassignment are distinct protected characteristics and, as such, data relating to these characteristics may be collated separately.
Answered 2 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card SolutionTreasuryTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71234More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2025 to Question 63330 on Cabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, on what date the event took place; where it took place; who attended; and what the cost of the event wa
Answer: The expenditure for PYM ARTEMISPLUS EXPRE, made via the Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, was made for a training event on the 25-26th September 2024 with 75 attendees, including over 70 Government of Philippines officials in Manila, and totalled £777.
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCommittee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and MedalsCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71233More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the Cabinet Secretary has delegated his attendance to the Main Honours Committee.
Answer: The Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service is responsible for the operation of the honours system, but as is customary, delegates this responsibility to another senior Permanent Secretary.
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record10 Downing Street: Renewable EnergyCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71232More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Downing Street uses renewable energy for its electricity.
Answer: Downing Street is connected to the National Grid, which uses a range of energy sources, including renewable energy.
Answered 7 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNew Media Unit: StaffCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71231More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff work in the New Media Unit; and what the annual budget for that unit is.
Answer: The New Media Unit currently has 19 FTE, of which 17 are permanent and 2 are loanees. Assuming the NMU is fully staffed with a consistent grade mix, throughout the financial year the annual salary costs currently would be circa £1.28 million.
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Calder ConferencesCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71230More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 64560 on Cabinet Office: Contracts, what venues have been booked through Calder Conferences since 4 July 2024; for what purpose; and at what cost.
Answer: The Cabinet Office’s contract with Calder Conferences Limited to provide Venue Booking Services started in February 2023, under the previous administration. The below table lists the venues and costs of venues booked by the Cabinet Office through Calder C...
Answered 24 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Security AdviserCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71229More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2025 to Question 64065 on National Security Adviser, for what reason the role of secretary to the National Security Council is fulfilled by the Deputy National Security Advisers;
Answer: The NSA attends the National Security Council and provides advice to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet on national security matters. The relevant Deputy NSA acts as Secretary to the National Security Council as this is a civil service function. The NSA o...
Answered 2 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordDisaster Relief and Emergencies: EqualityCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71228More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2025 to Question 63336 on Disaster Relief and Emergencies: Equality, whether there is any other documentation with the Risk Vulnerability Tool.
Answer: Information about the Risk Vulnerability Tool (RVT), its purpose and availability to officials in UK and Devolved Governments was published as part of the Resilience Action Plan. Further information on the RVT methodology will be published as part of a Qu...
Answered 2 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: TrainingCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71227More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish Freedom of Information Act response FOI2025/09675, dated 11 July 2025, on the number of undeployed staff in the Skills Hub.
Answer: The requested document will be published in the House Libraries.
Answered 28 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Communication Service: Public AppointmentsCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71226More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65153 on Government Communications Service: Reviews, whether the Director of Government Communications is being recruited externally through open and fair compe
Answer: The selection process for this role was open and fair competition, overseen by the independent Civil Service Commission, chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner. The salary range is £170,000 – £200,000.
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Appointments: Political ImpartialityCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71225More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Public Appointments Commission has issued guidance on the declaration of significant political activity for regulated appointments.
Answer: The Commissioner for Public Appointments has not issued guidance on the publication of declarations of political activity. As set out in previous answers, rules on political activity by prospective or existing public appointees are already clearly set out...
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPrime Minister: StaffCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71224More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 65874 on Prime Minister: Staff, how many staff work in the Mission Delivery Unit; whether that unit is part of the Prime Minister’s Office business unit; and in
Answer: On 1 September the Prime Minister announced changes to the Downing Street operation supporting the government’s next phase of delivery.The Prime Minister has established a reformed Delivery Unit, led out of Downing Street, to drive forward the Plan for Ch...
Answered 2 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: StatisticsCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71223More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the (a) UK Statistics Authority and (b) Office for National Statistics has a remit over the Government’s statistical (i) classification and (ii) reporting of (A) defence spending and (B) security and res
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 29th August is attached.
Answered 23 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Service: RecruitmentCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71222More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason the Civil Service Jobs website advertises job vacancies which allow employees to work from home permanently.
Answer: The Civil Service Jobs website advertises job vacancies on behalf of government departments. The Civil Service currently makes limited use of home-working contracts for certain roles and/or adjustments for people with disabilities. In October 2024, Heads ...
Answered 2 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Industrial DisputesCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71221More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2025 to Question 66650 on Industrial Disputes, what guidance his Department provides on undertaking Ministerial duties in 70 Whitehall during periods of strike action by (a) sta
Answer: No such guidance has been issued by the Cabinet Office.
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordIntelligence and Security Committee: Conflict of InterestsCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71220More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the press release of the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament of 1 May 2025, and pursuant to the Answer of 3 June 2025 to Question 54011 on Intelligence and Security Committee, wha
Answer: Established processes are in place to monitor and manage actual and perceived conflicts of interest.
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLobbying: Official HospitalityCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71219More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department provides on holding departmental receptions at the offices of consultant lobbying firms.
Answer: The Ministerial Code sets out guidance for Ministers on engaging with external stakeholders. Separate guidance relating to the regulation of consultant lobbying is published by the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists.
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordKeir Starmer: Workplace PensionsCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71218More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 47344 on Workplace Pensions: Inheritance Tax, whether MyCSP administers the Pension Scheme for Keir Starmer QC; and whether there is an annual (a) set of account
Answer: MyCSP currently administers the pension scheme for Keir Starmer QC. Neither an annual set of accounts or a report are provided for this pension scheme.
Answered 26 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCivil Servants: Performance Related PayCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71217More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question HL8406 on Civil Servants: Performance Related Pay, what is his Department's policy on performance-related pay for the Junior Civil Service; and what is the maxi
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer on 23 June 2025 (HL 8406). As has been the practice in previous administrations, the arrangements for performance-related pay for the Senior Civil Service (SCS) are published in annual SCS pay practitioner guidance. Th...
Answered 7 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: LanyardsCabinet OfficeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 71216More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 58669 on Cabinet Office: Lanyards, what was the (a) artwork and (b) branding on the 6,376 lanyards purchased for £5,069.99.
Answer: As was the case under the previous administration, the Cabinet Office issues standard Cabinet Office branded lanyards to staff as a default. On 6 April, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a ban on unnecessary branded merchandise. Whilst it...
Answered 23 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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