Every parliamentary written question tabled by Richard Holden this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1,101–1,120 of 2,875 · this parliament
Pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 93455, whether it ceased to be her department's policy that 50% of journeys in towns and cities should be walked or cycled by 2030 when the second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy ended in March 2025.
Decisions on future active travel targets will be confirmed in the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy when it is published next year.
How many new publicly available electric vehicle charge points were (a) installed and (b) brought into operation in each month since July 2024 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.
The Department publishes statistics on the number of public electric vehicle charging devices available across the UK each month: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69135a271fcc92b3f34963ca/electric-vehicle-public-charging-devices-november-2025.ods.
In respect of train operating companies for which the Department is the operator, how many services were (a) cancelled and (b) delayed by (i) 30 minutes or more and (ii) 60 minutes or more in each month since July 2024 up to and including the most recent month for which figures are available.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) publish statistics on punctuality and reliability of trains operating on the mainline network on a periodic basis on their data portal: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/.CancellationsInformation on train cancellations in Great Britain by operator is available in Table 3128: Pre-cancellations and adjusted cancellations score by operator, Great Britain (periodic data): https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/p-coded-cancellations/The table showsNumber of trains planned – confirmed between the operator and Network Rail at 22:00 on the previous evening.Number of part-cancelled trains – trains that ran at least half, but not all, of its planned journeys length or if it completed its whole journey length but failed to stop at one or more of its planned stations.Number of fully cancelled trains – trains that failed to run at least half of their planned journey length (including those that did not run at all).DelaysInformation on train punctuality in Great Britain by operator is available in Table 3138: Train punctuality at recorded station stops by operator (periodic): https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/table-3138-train-punctuality-at-recorded-station-stops-by-operator-periodic/A recorded station stop refers to any location that has both a scheduled date and time in the Great Britain timetable and an actual recorded arrival date and time.The table shows:The proportion of trains arriving at recorded station stops within 59 seconds of their scheduled arrival time.Trains arriving within 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes of schedule.The proportion of services arriving more than 15, 20, and 30 minutes late.
Which driving test centres were at 24 weeks wait times in i.) July 2024 ii.) July 2025 and iii.) the latest month for which figures are available.
The attached Excel document shows which driving test centres had a waiting time of 24 weeks in i) July 2024, ii) July 2025 and iii) November 2025.
What proportion of vehicles used by Government departments are electric; and what recent progress she has made in increasing the use of electric vehicles within the Government fleet.
The Government publishes data on its progress in decarbonising the central Government fleet, as part of wider reporting on the Greening Government Commitments. The most recent published data can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greening-government-commitments-april-2021-to-march-2024-report/greening-government-commitments-april-2021-to-march-2024-report.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 November 2025 to Question 93956 on Driving Tests, what is the estimated total cost of the Ministry of Defence charges to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency for the use of 36 defence driving examiners for one day per week over a 12-month period.
In response to a Military Aid to the Civil Authorities request from the Department for Transport, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has agreed to provide 36 defence driving examiners (DDE) to conduct driving tests for one day a week for 12 months. This support will seek to reduce current civilian driving test wait times. Actual costs will be calculated and charged following the completion of this support, the estimated cost is approximately £100,000. The MOD has agreed to charge marginal costs, rather than full costs, in line with HM Treasury guidelines as set out in JDP 02 UK Operations: the Defence Contribution to Resilience.
Whether she expects unregulated rail fares to move in line with regulated rail fares this year and over the next five years.
Changes to unregulated fares have typically followed a similar trend to regulated fares in recent years – so we expect the majority of passengers to benefit from savings. We are also continuing to reform the complex fares system that we know creates significant confusion and does not work for passengers, including through introducing more tap in, tap out pay as you go across the country, and delivering long-distance fares reforms, such as through the trial with London North Eastern Railway (LNER).
What the annual cost to the public purse is of tax reliefs provided through the Cycle to Work scheme.
The annual cost of the relief for the Cycle to Work scheme is available in last year’s publication of non-structural tax reliefs (‘Multiple tax type’ tab). In 2023-24 the estimated cost of the relief was £120m.Non-structural tax reliefs - GOV.UK
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of future increases in business rates on the financial sustainability of regional airports and the level of regional air connectivity they are able to provide.
The government is committed to enabling investment so that airports can play their full role in the growth mission. Properties seeing large bill increases as a result of the business rates revaluation - including airports - will benefit from a redesigned transitional relief scheme worth £3.2 billion over the next 3 years. Compared to the 2023 transitional relief scheme, the redesigned scheme will provide more generous support for large properties. The Government has also published a Call for Evidence exploring concerns that airports and a small number of other ratepayers have raised around the ‘Receipts & Expenditure’ valuation methodology and its impacts on long-term, high value investments. Through this call for evidence, we will seek to address issues raised ahead of the 2029 revaluation.
What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of remote monitoring equipment used to detect landslips on the rail network; and what steps she is taking to improve detection rates.
Network Rail, as the infrastructure manager of Britain’s railways, is responsible for maintaining the integrity and safety of the rail network to ensure passenger and freight services can operate reliably. Following the tragic derailment at Carmont in August 2020, Network Rail commissioned two task forces looking at earthworks management and extreme weather response. In response to these, Network Rail have taken forward a number of actions including commissioning an active nationwide monitoring regime using remote sensors, modelling and geotechnical assessments to monitor slope stability across the network. In its 24/25 Annual Assessment, the independent safety regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, indicated that Network Rail is making good progress in its delivery of weather resilience and climate adaptation plans.
What is the estimated net cost to the public purse of freezing certain regulated rail fares in March 2026 for this and the subsequent five financial years.
The estimated net cost to the public purse of freezing certain regulated rail fares in March 2026 is set out in the table below. This is putting money back in the pockets of hardworking people when they need it most. With savings set to be available on over a billion journeys, the freeze will also make rail more affordable, encouraging more people to use the railway. (£m)2025-262026-272027-282028-292029-302030-31Rail Fares: Freeze rail fares in England for one year from 1 March 2026+0m-145m-150m-155m-160m-165m
What estimate his Department has made of a) the average energy cost faced by UK steel producers in the most recent year, b) the equivalent cost faced by producers in France and Germany, and c) the potential impact of this cost gap on the competitiveness of UK steelmaking.
The Government is committed to delivering a steel strategy setting out a long-term vision for the UK steel industry articulating what is needed to create a competitive business environment in the UK and the actions required to get there. UK steel producers that benefit from British Industry Supercharger support and the current Network Charging Compensation scheme paid industrial electricity prices of £93 per MWh in 2025 (a 60% relief). The increase in compensation for network charges from 60% to 90%, which was announced in the Industrial Strategy and will be delivered from 1 April 2026, will reduce electricity prices for steel producers by a further £7 to £10 per MWh approximately. The equivalent cost faced by industrial electricity users in France and Germany is £69/MWh and £60/MWh respectively. Using average electricity intensity factors for electric arc furnace-based steel production, the difference to UK producers equates to approximately £8-£13 per tonne of crude steel.
What estimate the Government has made of a) the annual cost to UK port operators of dredging and disposing of dredged material required to maintain navigational access, b) the proportion of those costs arising from disposal levies and monitoring fees, and c) how those costs compare with equivalent charges in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
a) Information relating to the annual cost to UK port operators of dredging and disposing of dredged material required to maintain navigational access is not held centrally.b) The costs arising from the disposal levies and monitoring fees for last three years are shown in the table below: Calendar YearTotal Tonnes DisposedChargeable TonnageFees (1p per tonne, £15k cap)202417,564,23912,363,054£114,025202325,410,85917,679,722£89,322202232,147,78725,476,658£89,332 c) The equivalent information for France, Belgium and the Netherlands is not held centrally.
What assessment the Government has made of a) annual levies and monitoring charges associated with environmental mitigation and disposal sites used by UK ports, b) the consistency of fee structures across different regions, and c) the cumulative impact of these charges on port operators and logistics businesses.
a) The assessment annual levies and monitoring charges associated with environmental mitigation and disposal sites used by UK ports is undertaken by the ports who collect the fees. Ports are required to review their port waste management plan and get it re-approved every five years. The waste management plan amongst other specifications sets out the fee, and how this is calculated. Any major changes will require the port to review and change their port waste management plan before the five-year period. MCA surveyors' review, inspect and approve port waste management to ensure compliance with the regulations. b) Ports are required to calculate their fees as mandated by the regulations, which means the ports can recover their cost and the ‘polluter’ pays. These fees will vary due to regional variances in the cost of waste management in the different regions. c) A post implementation review of the regulations was also undertaken and published in 2023. The review found that the regulations were fit for purpose and were achieving the policy objectives and indicated that although industry had the opportunity to communicate any impacts of the requirements to the MCA, no significant concerns have been raised.
What estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of Benefit-in-Kind rates for zero-emission company cars.
The Government publishes annual statistics on HMRC’s taxable benefits in kind for company cars and company car fuel. These reports document the number of benefit in kind recipients, the CO2 emissions of company cars and their total taxable value. The latest statistics for the tax year 2023-24 were published in June 2025, and are accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefits-in-kind-statistics-june-2025/benefit-in-kind-statistics-commentary-june-2025(opens in a new tab) The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.
What recent assessment her Department has made of a) the structural condition of the A180 between the M180 and Immingham Port, b) the adequacy of current life-extending works to support projected increases in HGV traffic, c) the number of delays to freight movements arising from ongoing National Highways works on the A180 and adjacent links, and d) the expected timetable for completing those works.
There are no current Life Extension Works (LEW) underway on the A180. A LEW scheme was completed in 2024/25 on this section to provide an operational life extension of 5+ years and intended to ensure the section remained safe and operational, until a planned reconstruction scheme in Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3), planned to be undertaken in 2030/31. As part of the design activity related to the planned RIS3 reconstruction scheme, traffic management options and journey time impact studies will be undertaken to ensure impacts to road users are minimised.
What estimate her Department has made of the cost of upgrading and expanding monitoring and stabilisation works on Victorian railway embankments; and whether she plans to publish a timetable for funding for this infrastructure.
Network Rail, as the infrastructure manager of Britain’s railways, is responsible for maintaining the integrity and safety of the rail network to ensure passenger and freight services can operate reliably. Network Rail manages Victorian-era embankments—some over 150 years old—as part of a comprehensive, risk-based earthworks strategy. Its approach comprises policies, monitoring, maintenance, and engineering interventions. It is spending over £1bn on drainage and earthworks in 2024-2029 to ensure the integrity of the rail network, which includes embankment stabilisation.
If he will make a comparative assessment of the carbon intensity of (a) domestically produced oil and gas and (b) imported liquefied natural gas in the last 5 years.
The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has published annual Emissions Monitoring Reports since 2021. These contain figures for carbon intensity or emissions intensity (relating to carbon dioxide and methane) of domestically produced oil and gas compared to fossil fuels from other sources, including imported Liquefied Natural Gas. The latest report and methodology can be accessed online:Emissions Monitoring Report 2025Emissions Monitoring Report 2025 methodology
What assessment he has made of the impact of the North Sea oil and gas sector on employment and economic growth; and what steps he is taking to safeguard jobs in the offshore energy sector.
Our oil and gas sector significantly contributes towards our economy, and directly employs tens of thousands of highly skilled workers right across the UK. However, the natural decline of oil and gas in the North Sea has seen more than 70,000 jobs lost in the last decade. On 26 November the Government published its North Sea Future Plan. This sets out how we will protect current jobs in oil and gas, while also securing the next generation of good jobs. This includes a new North Sea Jobs Service to provide end-to-end support for the current workforce to access new opportunities.
What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Energy Profits Levy on investment in North Sea oil and gas projects; and whether her Department has estimated the capital investment generated by reforming that levy before 2026.
The Government has carefully considered the potential impacts of the Energy Profits Levy (EPL), including on investment. The Treasury publishes impacts in summary form for tax measures in tax information and impact notes (TIINs) alongside the Finance Bill. The most recent summary of impacts from the EPL can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-profits-levy-reforms-2024.The Government is clear that the EPL will end in 2030, or earlier if the EPL’s price floor, the Energy Security Investment Mechanism (ESIM), is triggered. While it remains in place, the EPL is forecast to raise around £8.5 billion between 2025/26 and 2030/31, contributing towards funding vital public services. This is in addition to more than £11 billion in tax revenues already raised through the EPL since its introduction in May 2022.The Government is committed to providing the oil and gas industry with the long-term certainty it needs on the future fiscal landscape and to support capital investment. At Budget 2025, the Government announced the details of the EPL successor regime, the Oil and Gas Price Mechanism. This new regime is designed to respond to future price shocks once the EPL ends, to create a stable, predictable fiscal environment that ensures companies continue to contribute fairly when oil and gas prices are unusually high while supporting investment in the UK’s oil and gas sector.