Every parliamentary written question tabled by Richard Holden this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 441–460 of 3,277 · this parliament
If she will provide, for each driving test centre in Great Britain, the car practical driving test waiting time in weeks in a) February 2026; b) March 2026; c) April 2026 and d) May 2026.
The answer to questions 122397 (31 March 2026) and 127873 (24 April 2026) provide the monthly average car practical driving test waiting time data (based on the national average waiting time metric of when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) for...
With reference to the Answer of 28 April 2026 to Question 128563 on Avanti West Coast: Internet, what timetable has been set for (a) the upgrade of onboard Wi-Fi systems across Avanti West Coast services and (b
The work to upgrade Avanti West Coast (AWC) Wi-Fi systems is expected to be complete by Spring 2027 but this is subject to contractual agreement with suppliers. The AWC window etching project is due to complete testing by the end of March 2027, with full ...
With reference to her Department's press release published on 25 March 2026 entitled £1 billion to cut costs for businesses, drive growth and clean up UK roads, how much of the £1 billion announced funding pack
Of the £1 billion out to 2030 announced on 25 March 2026, £877 million is for zero emission vehicle purchase grants through the Zero Emission Truck Grant and Zero Emission Van Grant. £171 million is for infrastructure support through the Depot Charging Sc...
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing formal trigger mechanisms or objective thresholds for future slot alleviation measures relating to aviation fuel disruption.
The Department for Transport is working closely with the aviation industry to understand pressures arising from the Middle East conflict, including any potential impacts on aviation fuel supply. The Government has been monitoring jet fuel stocks closely a...
Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of the flight to Colombia; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 125015 on Immobilisation of Vehicles, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of immobilisation devices unlawfully removed from vehicles.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) works closely with its national wheel clamping contractor to monitor where wheel clamps have been forcibly removed and to identify patterns of concern.When a vehicle is clamped, the registered keeper can secure the vehicle’s release by paying the required fee within 24 hours. In areas where the unlawful removal of immobilisation devices is a known issue the contractor will, where possible, immediately remove vehicles to reduce the risk of the clamp being removed unlawfully.Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems alert enforcement officers where there is a previous history of the clamp being removed so that immediate removal of the vehicle can be arranged.Measures to strengthen the securing chains on wheel clamps are also being considered to increase resistance to tampering. While this will not completely prevent deliberate damage, it is expected to significantly increase the time required to remove a clamp and so increase the likelihood of the offender being detected.
Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of the flight to Lebanon; which Ministers and senior officials approved the visit; how many officials travelled on that occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of the visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation
Pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 125029 on Department for Transport: Annual Reports, in respect of the £398 million Capital DEL expenditure attributed to the Decarbonisation, Technology and Strategy Group in 2024-25, if she will publish (a) a breakdown of the projects and programmes funded, (b) the amount allocated to each project, (c) a description of the purpose and remit of that Group, including its organisational structure, and (d) the planned Capital DEL and Resource DEL budget for that Group in 2025-26.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
What the average number of days taken by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to reach a licensing decision was in cases where a medical condition required investigation, in each month from January 2024 to April 2026.
The table below shows the average number of days to make a licensing decision for driving licence applications where a medical condition required investigation before a licence could be issued in each month from January 2024 to March 2026. The final figures for April 2026 are not yet available. 2024Group 1 (car and motorcycle)Group 2 (lorry and bus)January50.950.6February46.349.3March43.348.9April41.935.0May37.534.1June51.146.9July45.749.4August43.340.1September43.341.0October46.147.3November43.440.0December45.346.72025 January46.146.3February42.740.6March45.540.6April41.643.5May42.341.5June48.137.9July54.439.1August49.341.7September52.549.0October78.455.8November80.347.7December73.247.02026 January59.742.5February71.446.3March55.956.2 Driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) must be investigated before a licence can be issued can take longer than applications where there is no medical condition as the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. The DVLA has seen sustained growth in the volume and complexity of medical licence applications, increasing waiting times for some customers. To improve its services, the DVLA has introduced a new casework system and launched a new medical services portal, so most customers can now apply online through the DVLA’s driver and vehicles account. Details on how to sign up for an account can be found at www.gov.uk/driver-vehicles-account. These enhancements alongside the recruitment of additional staff to deal with these applications and answer telephone calls will deliver real improvements in services and turnaround times for customers.
Pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 120039 on Department for Transport: Aviation, what the purpose was of each flight to Netherlands Antilles; which Ministers and senior officials approved each visit; how many officials travelled on each occasion and at what grade; what the cost was of each visit; and whether an assessment was made of whether those engagements could be (a) conducted remotely and (b) combined with other travel.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
If she will set out (a) which modern foreign languages are currently available as GCSE and A level qualifications in England; (b) which European languages are not currently available as GCSE or A level qualifications; and (c) what criteria are used by her Department and by awarding bodies in determining whether a language qualification should be offered at GCSE and A level.
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
How many people aged 18 and over immigrated to the UK in each year from 2022 to 2025 from (a) Pakistan, (b) Kuwait, (c) Afghanistan, (d) Qatar, (e) the United Arab Emirates, (f) Sudan, (g) Mauritania, (h) Iraq, (i) Yemen, (j) Iran, (k) Saudi Arabia, (l) Libya, (m) Oman, (n) Syria, (o) Bahrain, (p) Egypt, (q) Jordan, (r) Guinea, (s) Lebanon, (t) Sri Lanka, (u) Algeria, (v) Turkey, (w) Tunisia, (x) Nigeria, (y) Morocco, (z) Bangladesh, (aa) Israel and (ab) India by nationality.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Rt. Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 20th April is attached.
What is the current revenue to the Exchequer of VAT from pilot training; and what would the estimated net cost to the Exchequer be of removing VAT from pilot training.
HMRC does not hold information on the VAT revenue from pilot training.This is because businesses are not required to provide a breakdown by product or service on their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden. I refer the Honourable Member to my answer of 21 January 2026 (UIN 105280) stating that the Government has no plans to change policy in this area.
For what reasons the National Vocational Qualification for Pilots was removed in 1999 and what consideration has been made of introducing a new qualification that is not subject to VAT for pilot training
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2026 to Question 126073, when the forthcoming guidance from Active Travel England will be published.
On 25 March, Active Travel England set out the intention to publish guidance during 2026 to help authorities design safer streets for women and girls.
What the monthly average waiting time was for a car practical driving test at each driving test centre and zone for a) March and b) April 2026.
The attached spreadsheet (WPQ-00066787) shows the average waiting time for car practical driving tests at each driving test centre, and zone, for March 2026. This data is based on the national average waiting time metric of when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available. Data for April 2026 will be available in May 2026. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency also records national median waiting time data (the time between the first test booking and test taken) for practical car driving tests. In March 2026 this was 9 weeks. This data, broken down by test centre and zone, is currently not available for March and April 2026.
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.
The Animal Welfare strategy sets out Government priorities until 2030. Policies will be delivered throughout this time. Next steps on the consultation will be announced in due course.
Pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2026 to Question 118274 on M1: Repairs and Maintenance, whether the roadworks on the M1 northbound between junctions 12 and 13 have been completed.
Repairs to the central reservation drainage on the M1 (Northbound) between junctions 12 and 13 have been completed. All traffic management was removed on 30 March 2026.
Pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2026 to Question 117050 on A34: Safety, whether the road marking renewal works on the A34 from Chieveley to the M40 have now been completed; and if she will provide an updated timetable for completion if those works remain ongoing.
The programme of road marking renewal works on the A34 between Chieveley and the M40 is largely complete. One remaining closure is still required to complete the final element of the works, and National Highways is working with the local highway authority to minimise disruption. All remaining works should be complete by the summer.
Pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Question 120278 on Electric Vehicles: Costs, whether she will publish the analysis underpinning the estimated monthly cost savings under the proposed Government’s proposed electric Vehicle Excise Duty.
In answer to Question 120278 the Government set out that analysis suggests that the average EV driver will pay around £20 a month under the Government’s eVED proposals once the new policy starts in 2028, roughly half the equivalent rate for a petrol car. This is based on an average EV driving 8,000 miles per year subject to an eVED rate of three pence per mile. The average EV driver will therefore pay £240 - or £20 per month - in eVED, while an average petrol/diesel car driving the same distance will pay around £480 in fuel duty, or six pence per mile. The Government has set out expected impacts from eVED and other Budget measures in the Budget 2025 Policy Costings document at GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/692872fd2a37784b16ecf676/Budget_2025-Policy_Costings.pdf