Richard Holden MP: written questions
2152 published records · newest first.
Written questions
CorruptionHome OfficeTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69370More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 26 of the National Security Strategy 2025, CP 1338, published on 24 June 2025, what her planned timetable is for the publication of the Anti-Corruption Strategy.
Answer: The Anit-Corruption Strategy will be published later this year, and will be set out to Parliament in the normal way.
Answered 1 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: BuildingsCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69369More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's transparency data entitled Cabinet Office: spend control data for October to December 2024, published on 27 March 2025, what the spending on (a) 35 Great Smith Street, (b) 5 En
Answer: The spend control data relates to four approvals under the National Property Control (NPC) for rent for office space. The NPC requests were all made by the Government Property Agency, an Executive Agency of the Cabinet Office, on behalf of the department/...
Answered 2 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: MarketingCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69368More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Cabinet Office spend approvals: October to December 2024, published 27 March 2025, what was the purpose of the spending on Great Campaigns HQ; what suppliers were contracted; and on what me
Answer: Since 2011, the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Campaign has successfully encouraged an international audience to visit, trade, invest, live, work and study in the UK and has generated over £7 billion of returns to the UK economy. GREAT HQ’s activity t...
Answered 2 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordParliamentary and Political Service Honours Committee: MembershipCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69367More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question 62339 on Parliamentary and Political Service Honours Committee, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the membership on decision making.
Answer: The process for Honours selection is transparent and robust; all nominations are considered by one of ten expert Honours Committees, each chaired by an independent chair, and comprising a majority of independent members each with considerable experience o...
Answered 2 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record9 Downing Street: Repairs and MaintenanceCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69366More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64569 on 9 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance, whether the (a) provisional and (b) final cost of the works has been agreed.
Answer: The (a) provisional cost of works has been approved, but the (b) invoice for the works has not yet been submitted. The final cost of works will be included in the Cabinet Office spend transparency reporting once invoiced by the supplier.
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: StaffCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69365More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what changes his Department made to the Cabinet Office's Government Function: People, Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework, issued 30 June 2025.
Answer: A Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework is a management tool designed to provide consistent, comparable management information that supports functional assurance and continuous improvement. The People Function Continuous Improvement Assessment Frame...
Answered 2 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSpecial Advisers: Industrial DisputesCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69364More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 June 2025 to Question HL8409 on special advisers, whether special advisers who wish to undertake industrial action can only do so as part of industrial action undertaken by their app
Answer: As special advisers have the same legal rights as other employees, their right to take industrial action is not limited to their appointing minister’s department.
Answered 2 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSenior Civil Servants: PayCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69363More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he plans to publish the senior officials high earners salaries list for 2025.
Answer: The previous administration did not update this list prior to the General Election. The Cabinet Office will publish a new 2025 list in due course.
Answered 2 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPrime Minister: StaffCabinet OfficeTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69362More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 65874 on Prime Minister: Staff, on what date (a) the Implementation Unit and (b) the No10 Delivery Unit were abolished.
Answer: There has not been an Implementation Unit in 10 Downing Street for at least 15 years. The No10 Delivery Unit moved to the Cabinet Office and was renamed the Mission Delivery Unit reflecting its focus on the government’s five missions.
Answered 2 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversities: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 21 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69332More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 60215 on Universities: Finance, whether the Office for Students has (a) agreed emergency funding not yet received to any (i) university, (ii) higher education
Answer: The Office for Students has not agreed any emergency funding that is yet to be received for any university, higher education provider, or further education provider, nor has it provided any guarantee or other beneficial financial package to support any un...
Answered 3 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordSyria: Inter MediateForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69070More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department provides funding for the Inter Mediate office assisting the Syrian president.
Answer: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funds a number of different civil society and non-governmental organisations for our mediation and conflict resolution work, including Inter Mediate. We have partnered with Inter Mediate for over 10 years t...
Answered 22 Aug 2025
Original Parliament recordStrategic Defence ReviewMinistry of DefenceTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69069More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 56739 on Strategic Defence Review, whether the embargoed defence review document was classified as (a) market-sensitive and (b) in scope of the UK Market Abuse R
Answer: The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) contains only strategic recommendations to Government. It does not contain any specific new contract details for any company. As the Government has now confirmed a number of times, at no point did stakeholders receive an...
Answered 28 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCabinet Office: Labour PartyCabinet OfficeTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69068More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62334 on Cabinet Office: Labour Party, what the journeys were.
Answer: As is longstanding practice, specific details regarding the allocation of vehicles are not disclosed due to security considerations.
Answered 1 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCollege for National SecurityCabinet OfficeTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69067More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how his Department measures the diversity performance of the College for National Security; and whether there are safeguards to help ensure that oversight mechanisms do not (a) create bias and (b) unlawfully pro
Answer: The College for National Security provides the national security community and wider civil service access to learning and development. The College’s offer is open to all civil and crown servants and safeguards are in place to ensure content is only access...
Answered 1 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLobbyingCabinet OfficeTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69066More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62087 on Lobbying, whether his Department plans to formally respond to the report.
Answer: The Government continues to keep transparency around lobbying under review, and we will factor into consideration the recommendations from PACAC's report as any policy reforms are considered. However, the report was conducted and published under the previ...
Answered 28 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordInfected Blood Compensation SchemeCabinet OfficeTabled 18 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 69065More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the timeliness of payments of compensation to the victims of infected blood.
Answer: The Government is committed to ensuring that all those eligible to receive compensation receive an award as quickly as possible. As of 15 July, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has contacted 2,215 people to begin their claim for compensati...
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordHouse of Lords Appointments CommissionCabinet OfficeTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68483More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 62990 on House of Lords Appointments Commission, what the Government’s policy is on the number of Non-Party Political Life Peers proposed by HOLAC who will be cr
Answer: The Prime Minister will continue to invite nominations from HOLAC, and future appointments will be announced in the usual way.
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordHouse of Lords CompositionCabinet OfficeTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68482More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 19 June 2025, on House of Lords Appointments, HCWS718, whether the Prime Minister has a target size for the number of sitting peers in the House of Lords.
Answer: As appointments are for life, the second chamber has become too big. The Government’s manifesto therefore included a commitment to introduce a retirement age for members of the House of Lords. The Government intends to propose the establishment of a dedic...
Answered 24 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record10 Downing Street: ICTCabinet OfficeTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68481More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Number 10 has an operational Bloomberg terminal.
Answer: HMT has Bloomberg terminals and subscriptions to support the provision of economic advice to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Answered 23 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Legal ServiceAttorney GeneralTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68480More
Question: To ask the Solicitor General, what guidance has been posted on the Government Legal Service intranet since July 2024.
Answer: The Government Legal Service no longer exists and has been replaced by the Government Legal Profession (GLP).The GLP produces guidance to assist government lawyers as they work closely with ministers, policy makers and other professionals.Lawyers across g...
Answered 28 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: NurseriesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68479More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the (a) percentage and (b) cash term monetary change in average fees for his Department's nursery was in 2025-26 compared to 2024-25; and what assessment he has made of
Answer: There has been no increase in fees for the nursery based at King Charles Street during the period 2024-25 to 2025-26.
Answered 21 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordForeign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Official GiftsForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68478More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, With reference to the publication entitled Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - Ministers' Gifts - May 2025, published on 26 June 2025, what the meaning is of the ent
Answer: When the Foreign Secretary receives a gift, he decides whether the gift will be retained by the department, or purchased by him personally. On this occasion, the Foreign Secretary has decided this gift will be retained by the department. The public data w...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Defence: Official HospitalityMinistry of DefenceTabled 16 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 68477More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Ministry of Defence: Ministers’ Hospitality - May 2025, published on 26 June 2025, for what reason the Rt Hon Member for Liverpool Garston received lunches offered by Babcock on (a) 26 May, (b)
Answer: To maximise the value of my time on overseas visits, I will sometimes join working lunches with industry to discuss their live export campaigns and priorities. The dates referenced cover a period where I was in New Zealand and Australia to further Defence...
Answered 25 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBeer: Excise Duties and PackagingDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67989More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of new packaging regulations on the cost of producing draught and bottled beer; and whether those impacts were t
Answer: The Government has worked closely with industry, including the brewing and hospitality sectors throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR). In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact o...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBeer: Excise DutiesTreasuryTabled 15 Jul 2025AnsweredUIN 67988More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of draught beer duty relief on the viability of pubs in (a) rural areas and (b) newly developed communities.
Answer: The Chancellor’s draught rate cut at Autumn Budget 2024 applied to approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. Draught beer and cider now pay 13.9% less in duty than their packaged equivalents – a 50% increase on the previous draught discount ...
Answered 22 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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