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 501–520 of 2,902 · this parliament
How many and what proportion of contracts have been awarded by his Department in this Parliament under the terms of the Single Source Contract Regulations 2014 in each month since they came in to force; and with who the contracts were.
The total number of contracts which meet the requirements of the Single Source Contract Regulations 2014 placed in this Parliament is 100. This equates to 4.74% of all contracts placed on or since 4 July 2024.
What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of oversight arrangements governing access to vehicle keeper data held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency by private parking operators through accredited trade associations.
Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 permits the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper details in certain limited circumstances, subject to appropriate safeguards.Vehicle keeper data is only made available to private parking operators who are members of an appropriate Accredited Trade Association (ATA). The ATAs are responsible for setting and enforcing codes of practice for their members. The DVLA undertakes compliance checks and auditing to help ensure that requests for data are made for a proper purpose and that information released is used appropriately. The safeguards in place to protect personal data are kept under review to ensure they continue to provide appropriate protection.
What the average number of carriages has been on Northern Rail services operating on the Clitheroe–Manchester line during each of the last 18 months; and how many short-formed services have operated on that line in each of the last 18 months where fewer carriages were provided than originally scheduled.
Between 16 September 2024 and 16 March 2026, 35.5 per cent of Northern services on the Clitheroe-Manchester line had two carriages, while 64.5 per cent had four carriages. In the same period, Northern ran 16,149 services, of which 3,430 (21.2 per cent) had fewer carriages than planned. MonthNo of services with fewer carriages than planned2024 Sep93Oct191Nov171Dec932025 Jan155Feb123Mar46Apr117May225Jun193Jul248Aug101Sep204Oct330Nov270Dec2712026 Jan339Feb143Mar117Total3430 While most train services between Clitheroe and central Manchester are scheduled to be operated by four-carriage trains, unfortunately there may be occasions when this is not possible due to more trains than usual requiring repair, in large part due to the age of the rolling stock.To address this, Northern has begun discussions with train manufacturers to procure around 250 new train sets to replace the oldest trains in its fleet. Approximately two-thirds of its existing fleet is targeted to be replaced in the next ten years. The initial order, which is due to enter service in 2030-31, will consist of 130 units: 92 diesel-hybrids to replace its Class 15Xs (of the kind that serve Clitheroe and Blackburn), 30 electric and diesel-hybrid trains to support the TransPennine Route Upgrade and 8 battery-powered trains to test their potential as an alternative to diesel-hybrids.In the meantime, Northern is talking to other operators to identify any suitable rolling stock that could be cascaded to provide additional capacity or replace trains that have reached the end of their lives. Where any such additional stock is used is an operational matter for Northern, based on the demands on its services and the capacity of its depots and staff.
What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the use of Norwegian-style drill-and-blast tunnelling methods in the construction of UK transport tunnels; and whether she has considered the use of a Private Bill procedure for the authorisation and delivery of tunnel construction projects.
Norwegian style drill and blast tunnelling is generally suited to continuous hardrock geology that is not characteristic of most interurban routes in the UK. Instead, the latter frequently involves tunnelling through highly variable ground conditions including clay, weak, weathered or fractured rock and sands and gravels submerged in high-pressure ground water. Modern tunnelboring machines (TBMs) are able to cope with such variable geology and prevent the excavation face of the tunnel catastrophically collapsing before the tunnel is lined with concrete.That said, the choice of tunnelling method will depend very much on local ground conditions for each major road or rail project. TBMs are frequently tailor-made to suit those ground conditions. The department would always look to tunnelling experts to recommend the most cost-effective method for a particular tunnel and we would not rule out drill-and-blast if it was through suitable rock.For most tunnelling projects existing statutory consenting routes remain available, and the use of a Private Bill would only be considered where there is a specific and compelling justification.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 116791, on what date the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) was first asked to provide input on the guidance entitled Floating Bus Stops: Provision and Design; when that input was received; and what recommendations DPTAC made to Ministers.
On 9 August 2024, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) issued an advice note on floating bus stops following the publication of research by Living Streets. Officials working on the floating bus stop guidance were aware of this advice. DfT officials met with DPTAC before the guidance was drafted, and consulted them throughout the development of the guidance.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including logistics transport infrastructure in the National Wealth Fund’s five-year strategic plan.
Transport is one of the National Wealth Fund’s priority sectors.
Whether the Civil Service Jobs platform records (a) the number of applications received and (b) the number of appointments made for Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency driving examiner recruitment campaigns since July 2024.
The Civil Service Jobs platform is the central portal for recruitment across the Civil Service and records data for all campaigns managed through the system. Since July 2024, the platform has recorded a total of 26,490 applications received and 1,082 posts offered for Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) driving examiner recruitment campaigns. This number is subject to pre-employment checks and ongoing campaigns.
Pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2026 to Question 116586, what estimate her Department has made of the level of fees not being paid to former private sector train operating companies as a result of the public ownership programme managed by DFT Operator Limited since July 2024; and what the cost has been of the increase in headcount at DFT Operator Limited since 1 January 2024, including (i) salaries, (ii) employer pension contributions and (iii) employer National Insurance contributions.
Public ownership will save taxpayers up to an estimated £110-150 million every year on fees currently paid to privately-owned train operating companies, once all services currently delivered under contract with the Department have transferred.The increase in total payroll costs at DfT Operator Limited between 01/01/24 to 28/02/26 was:Salary - £6,160,470.90NI - £869,225.19Pension - £621,414.96Total - £7,651,111.05
Pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 64569, on 9 Downing Street: Repairs and Maintenance, whether OCS has submitted an application for payment for the costs of the 9 Downing Street media suite.
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer of 25th March 2026, Official Report, PQ 116506.
Pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 111871, whether any net financial efficiency savings are expected to be attributable to Network Rail from the technology and systems investments, after accounting for their up-front and ongoing costs; and what estimate her Department has made of the net cost or benefit of those investments.
Network Rail will write to you on this issue and incorporate a response to your question into its response to a similar question asked previously by Jerome Mayhew MP.
Whether his Department is reviewing documents released to the media in March 2025 in relation to the employment tribunal involving the Drax whistleblower; and whether any findings from that material have been shared with the regulator.
DESNZ does not hold these documents, so is not reviewing them and has not shared them with Ofgem.
A) what services were provided under contract PS24098 awarded to Guidehouse Europe Limited titled “Consulting service for internal assurance of existing sustainability assurance arrangement”; b) which body within his Department or its arm’s-length bodies commissioned that contract; c) what the objectives and scope of the consultancy work were; d) what deliverables were produced under the contract between 5 August 2024 and 30 September 2024; and e) whether the Department plans to publish the outputs of that work.
Following a report published by the National Audit Office in January 2024, titled “the government’s support for biomass”, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero commissioned Guidehouse to review the robustness of the biomass sustainability assurance processes which were in place at the time. Guidehouse produced a report for the Department in September 2024. There are no plans to publish this report.
What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on British nationals in the UAE who were unable to travel on scheduled commercial flights and subsequently travelled on FCDO charter flights; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure airlines meet their obligations to assist British passengers affected by flight cancellations overseas.
My Department and I have worked in tandem with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and airlines, to ensure that any British National who wishes to leave the region can do so, whether via commercial routes or through Government-supported repatriation flights.Throughout this situation my Department has continued to engage with the aviation sector to understand the impacts on their operations, the measures they are taking to minimise disruption, and the support they are providing to their customers.This collaboration has included direct engagement by the Secretary of State and Ministers with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and major UK airlines and airports.
How many journeys were undertaken by civil servants using Government Car Service vehicles since 4 July 2024.
The Government Car Service (GCS) provides vehicles to government departments as a shared resource. Individual departments determine the allocation and use of these vehicles in line with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code. Information on the number of journeys undertaken is not held centrally by GCS.
Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 112685, whether the British Business Bank has (a) invested in, (b) capitalised, or (c) supported through guarantees or co-investment any funds, schemes, or portfolio companies that have been designated, marketed or described as relating to net zero, decarbonisation, sustainability, climate transition or the green economy in (i) 2024-25 and (ii) 2025-26.
Yes. In each of these years, the British Business Bank has invested in, capitalised, and supported through guarantees or co-investment several funds, schemes and portfolio companies with the specified characteristics. This includes direct co-investment, investment in venture and growth capital funds, and lending delivered through the Bank’s programmes including Start Up Loans and the Growth Guarantee Scheme. A pilot Green Growth Guarantee Scheme is underway, whose goal is to increase the supply of affordable finance for businesses investing in green technologies.
Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government plans to publish a new set of Greening Government Commitments to succeed the commitments covering April 2021 to March 2024.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 February to the hon. Member for Bristol Central, PQ UIN 114247.
Pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2026 to Question 112364, whether the annual spend on maternity care reported in the NHS National Cost Collection includes or excludes payments made by NHS Resolution for maternity clinical negligence claims; and under which budget heading such payments are accounted for.
The annual spend on maternity in the NHS National Cost Collection does not include payments made by NHS Resolution.Payments for maternity clinical negligence claims are made from the clinical negligence scheme for trusts, which is managed by NHS Resolution.https://resolution.nhs.uk/services/claims-management/clinical-schemes/clinical-negligence-scheme-for-trusts/
Pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2026 to Question 116553 on the Highway Code, what evidential basis was used when Rule H1 was drafted to include motorcycles.
The previous Government updated the Highway Code in 2022 to improve road safety for people walking, cycling and riding horses including the introduction of a hierarchy of road users. I understand that the Department for Transport worked with an expert stakeholder group representing different users of the road and conducted a 12-week formal consultation.
Whether officials in their Department are permitted to use Government Car Service cars.
The Attorney General’s Office follows central government guidance on domestic ministerial travel, as set out in the Civil Service Management Code (2016).
Whether officials in his Department are permitted to use Government Car Service cars.
The Government Car Service provides transport for Ministers and occasionally officials undertaking official duties. Its use is governed by the Ministerial Code and departmental travel policies to ensure journeys are necessary and represent value for money.