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 121–140 of 2,894 · this parliament
Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the European Commission’s support for grazing and the controlled burning of vegetation as measures to reduce wildfire risk.
Awaiting answer.
With reference to the Answer of 24 April 2026 to Question 107772, whether his Department plans to make the recording of consanguinity and related information in the Maternity Services Dataset mandatory; and which NHS trusts have recorded births using relevant SNOMED CT codes.
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
What recent estimate his Department has made of the scale of the maintenance backlog across central government property.
Awaiting answer.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has had discussions with Inter Mediate on de-sanctioning the Syrian regime since 4 July 2024.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was given on 3 June 2025 on the last occasion he asked this question (UIN 52690).
How many Permanent Secretary and Second Permanent Secretary roles are (a) being advertised through open and fair competition, (b) have advertised but the recruitment is now closed and the appointment has not yet been made, (c) are being advertised only internally and (d) are unfilled with no recruitment process.
There are currently five permanent secretary recruitment processes underway. One is open for applications through an external advert. Four are now closed but the appointment has not yet been made. Three were advertised externally and one was advertised internally across government.There are currently no unfilled roles with no recruitment process.
What guidance she has issued to Departments on whether former Ministers should be consulted before internal Ministerial papers are shared with the courts.
The Solicitor General has not issued any guidance to Departments on whether former Ministers should be consulted before internal Ministerial papers are shared with the courts.
With reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 118920, if she will develop new Outline Business Cases for the Haughley Junction upgrades.
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
With reference to the Answer of 4 April 2025 to Question 41645 on Cabinet Office: Email, what the automatic deletion policies are for non-Ministerial inboxes for officials in his Department where individual emails are not intentionally selected for long-term storage.
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer of 4 April 2025, Official Report, PQ 41645.
What the evidential basis was for not exempting large islands such as the Isle of Wight from the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
Awaiting answer.
With reference to the answer of 24 April 2026 to Question 107772 on Childbirth: Medical Records, which NHS trusts have recorded SNOMED CT codes (a) 125678001, (b) 699110007, (c) 1269487002, (d) 1269486006 and (e) 842009 within the Maternity Services Dataset since the introduction of guidance on consanguinity recording in September 2024.
The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing time spent in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and Ukraine Extension Scheme to count towards eligibility for indefinite leave to remain.
I refer the Rt Honourable Member to my answer given on 21 April to PQ UIN 126987.
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 each driving test centre in February and March 2026 respectively. The attached spreadsheet (WPQ-00068472) shows the average waiting time for car practical driving tests at each driving test centre (based on the national average waiting time metric of when a minimum of 10% of test slots are available) for April 2026. Data for May 2026 will be available in June 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. The national median waiting time for a practical car driving test in February, March and April 2026 is shown in the table below. MonthNational median waiting time (the time between the first test booking and test taken)February 202610.6 weeksMarch 20269.0 weeksApril 20269.1 weeks This data, broken down by driving test centre, is currently not available for February, March and April 2026.
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.
Awaiting answer.
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 rollout of laser window etching technology across the Class 390 fleet; what minimum performance standards for (i) speed, (b) reliability and (iii) other elements of onboard Wi-Fi operators are required to meet under the Service Quality Regime; on how many occasions Avanti West Coast has failed to meet those standards in the last 12 months; what financial penalties have been applied as a result; what the expected timetable is for the procurement and deployment of low earth orbit satellite connectivity on services on the West Coast Main Line; and whether improvements delivered through Project Reach will include the full route between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston.
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 fleet fitment commencing in Financial Year 2027/2028. In the Service Quality Regime (SQR), independent auditors test Wi‑Fi availability by attempting to connect to the internet using onboard Wi-Fi when inspecting a carriage. SQR does not assess against minimum standards for connection speed. The results represent a sample of the service rather than a continuous assessment of Wi-Fi performance. Onboard Wi‑Fi forms one element of a broader “Trains: Information” area, within which performance is assessed against a benchmark. Over the last 13 periods, AWC have averaged a score of 99.37% for the SQR Wi-Fi measure. AWC can earn a fee based on their overall performance across all train measures, which includes Wi-Fi. Performance payments for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 financial years are currently being calculated and independently verified and will be published in due course. The Department secured funding as part of the Spending Review to use low earth orbit satellite connectivity to improve on train Wi-Fi for our passengers on main line trains, including across the West Coast Main Line. As part of Project Reach, we will also improve the mobile signal in tunnels along the West Coast Main Line.
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 package is allocated to (a) zero emission vehicle purchase grants and (b) charging infrastructure support.
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 Scheme.
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.
Decisions around qualifications taken in 1999 were made by a previous government and the department has no further information to add to that made available at the time.The First Officer Pilot Apprenticeship Standard, developed by industry, was introduced in 2019 with a funding band of £27,000, but is currently paused for starts due to low take-up. While National Vocational Qualifications continue to exist at levels 2 and 3 in certain sectors, the first officer apprenticeship is a level 6 standard. Skills England will keep the standard under review and remain open to lifting the pause should industry present evidence of demand.VAT policy is the responsibility of His Majesty’s Treasury. The government keeps all taxes under regular review, and any proposals to amend the tax system must be considered in the context of wider public finances.
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 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 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 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