First elected: 12th December 2019
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Call a General Election
Gov Responded - 6 Dec 2024 Debated on - 6 Jan 2025 View Richard Holden's petition debate contributionsI would like there to be another General Election.
I believe the current Labour Government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead up to the last election.
These initiatives were driven by Richard Holden, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Richard Holden has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to make provision for the licensing of animal shelters; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to prohibit the marriage of first cousins; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to require a seller of a vehicle to record their home address or specified information about a company that owns the vehicle in the vehicle’s registration document; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to prohibit virginity testing procedures; to make associated provision about education; and for connected purposes.
Interpersonal Abuse and Violence Against Men and Boys (Strategy) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Ben Obese-Jecty (Con)
Freedom of Expression (Religion or Belief System) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Nick Timothy (Con)
Maternity Units (Requirement for Bereavement Suite) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Rosie Wrighting (Lab)
Roadworks (Regulation) Bill 2024-26
Sponsor - Mark Francois (Con)
Carbon Emissions (Buildings) Bill 2021-22
Sponsor - Duncan Baker (Con)
There is no limit to the number of questions for ordinary written answer which a Member may table in hard copy on each sitting day (see Erskine May, 25th Edition, paragraph 22.4).
The Commission does not monitor the use of the copies of the Morning Star or other newspapers provided across the Parliamentary Estate. They are made freely available for Members in the Library and communal areas and there is no means for recording their use.
The government is committed to strengthening equal pay and ending pay discrimination. As part of this, we will establish an Equal Pay Regulatory and Enforcement Unit.
In April, we launched a call for evidence on a number of areas of equality policy, including this commitment. We will consider the views from the call for evidence to understand the challenges and find the appropriate solutions to equal pay enforcement.
We are holding this call for evidence (which closes on 30 June 2025) while policy is at a formative stage in order to enable businesses, trade unions, civil society and others to share their knowledge and experiences. Officials in the Office for Equality and Opportunity will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders as this policy develops.
Artworks are removed from offices during dissolution and the General Election to mitigate risk to the collection during this busy period and to ensure availability of suitable works to meet Member requests for office hangs upon their election.
Between June and October 2024, the Heritage Collections team moved over 1100 artworks to facilitate dissolution works and election changes. This included seven portraits of Churchill: four from offices of Members, or their staff, who were not returned at the election; two from Members who were returned at the election; and one for conservation. Those removals were not, therefore, requested by the Members who had previously been allocated those offices. One of those works has subsequently been requested for another Member’s office; the other five remain available for Members to request.
The attached data provides detail of individual artworks falling under the following categories:
iA) artworks installed between dissolution and 4 July 2024 (40 artworks)
iiA) artworks removed between dissolution and 4 July 2024 (80 artworks)
iB) artworks installed since 4 July 2024 (185 artworks)
iiB) artworks removed since 4 July 2024 (375 artworks)
In collating this data, so far as possible we have included neither artworks which were temporarily removed to allow for maintenance works and have since been rehung in the same location, nor artworks which were briefly off display and then moved location with a Member’s office.
The House of Commons purchases five copies of the Morning Star each day. These are made available in different locations around the Estate.
On 18 March, I announced our plans to establish a Race Equality Engagement Group to help us develop measures to tackle race inequality. The Group will be chaired by Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon.
We are in the process of appointing the other members of the Group. Members are being recruited to bring a range of expertise from across the public, private and voluntary sectors and from across the country. These are informal ministerial appointments, by invitation, and are not within the scope of the Governance Code for Public Appointments.
This is not a matter for the House of Commons Commission.
The rules are set out in the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members, approved by the House on 12 December 2022 (HC 1083).
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmcode/1083/1083-1.pdf
Members seeking advice on the registration of specific interests should contact the Registrar of Members’ Interests.
This is not a matter for the House of Commons Commission.
The rules are set out in the Code of Conduct and the Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members, approved by the House on 12 December 2022 (HC 1083).
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmcode/1083/1083-1.pdf
Members seeking advice on the registration of specific interests should contact the Registrar of Members’ Interests.
80 artworks moved from display to storage between dissolution (30 May 2024) and 4 July 2024, of which none were portraits. Since 4 July 2024, 405 artworks have moved to store, of which one was a portrait.
These changes have been for a number of reasons: movement of Members’ offices, required conservation work, or temporary storage due to maintenance projects. Many artworks in store are currently under consideration by Members for new office selections.
Other than BBC Parliament, there are no other live television feeds from public bodies to Parliament. Before migration to the internet over five years ago, the following channels from public bodies were available (in addition to BBC Parliament):
UK Parliament’s sound and vision contractor provisioned the broadcast signals from these public bodies onto the Parliamentary Estate as part of their overall contract. It is not possible to separate out this cost from the overall contract.
Items from the Parliamentary Art Collection are on display in corridors, meeting and Committee rooms as well as private offices. Since 4 July 2024, no changes have been made to the display of busts of Winston Churchill on the Parliamentary estate. In the same timeframe, seven print or photographic portraits of Churchill have been taken off display. Six were taken off display from Members’ offices following changes to office locations and occupancy after the election, and one required conservation work.
The Parliamentary Art Collection contains 33 artworks either by or depicting Winston Churchill. 13 are currently on display in high-profile locations including Members’ Lobby, Committee Corridor and Ministerial offices. None of the works on display in those high-profile locations have been moved since 4 July 2024, other than briefly to facilitate project works.
The Government is committed to commencing the socio-economic duty in the Equality Act 2010. The duty will require specified public bodies, when making strategic decisions, to consider actively how their decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.
Public authorities will be able to reach their own decisions as to how they wish to approach reducing inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.
We will work in partnership with public authorities, civil society and others in order to ensure that the implementation of the duty is as effective as possible. As part of this, we have included questions in relation to the socio-economic duty in a call for evidence on equality law, which was launched on 7 April and will be open until 30 June. This will enable public authorities and others to input into plans in relation to the socio-economic duty at an early stage. We will also consult on draft statutory guidance in order to ensure it addresses the needs of public bodies and civil society and supports effective implementation.
The Public Sector Equality Duty (the PSED) requires organisations in scope to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people.
The scope of the PSED is set out in the Equality Act 2010 (the Act). It extends to all public authorities listed in Schedule 19 of the Act and all parties carrying out public functions. This includes private sector and voluntary organisations when carrying out public functions.
The government expects regulators to ensure organisations comply with their legal requirements. It is not the role of regulators to intervene where legal requirements do not apply and we have no evidence that this is occurring.
Registration requirements are set out in the Code of Conduct together with the Guide to the Rules relating to the Conduct of Members, approved by the House on 12 December 2022. (https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmcode/1083/1083.pdf)
Paragraph 5 of the Code provides that new Members must register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election within one month of their election, and Members must register any change in those registrable interests within 28 days. Gifts, donations or hospitality are registrable from the day of receipt (whether or not subsequently repaid). The 28-day period is provided to enable time for registration for the purpose of transparency.
Members are encouraged to seek advice from the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests if they are in any doubt about whether a proposed course of action is in line with the rules.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued guidance and codes of practice covering philosophical belief. What is and is not a political belief as opposed to a philosophical belief is a question that is for individuals to consider and, if necessary, the courts to determine, if raised in the context of Equality Act 2010 protections.
The Equality Act 2010 (The Act) provides protections for people from discrimination in the workplace and in society. It makes it unlawful to treat someone unfairly or discriminate against anyone based on certain personal characteristics. This includes race and ethnicity.
The Act also makes it unlawful for recruiters to hire by race, where the person is to be paid under a contract for services. Under certain conditions, a recruiter choosing between candidates of equal merit can hire the candidate from the more disadvantaged or lower-participating race or ethnicity. This is one type of ‘positive action’. Positive action can deliver better outcomes for particular groups in order to overcome or minimise a disadvantage arising from a protected characteristic.
In April 2023, the previous government published guidance to help employers understand the difference between positive action and positive discrimination. The guidance is available on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-action-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers. Section 9 of this guidance explains the general positive action provision. Section 10.2 explains tie-breaking in more detail. With this considered, there are currently no plans to issue further guidance to public bodies on positive action.
The ‘Table of Kindred and Affinity’ is part of the Book of Common Prayer. The Book of Common Prayer can be changed by a Measure from the General Synod of the Church of England, which would come to Parliament for approval in the usual manner. The Church of England has no plans currently to change the text.
The duration of appointments of office holders in the Church of England is governed by statutory provisions. Under section 3 of the Ecclesiastical Offices (Terms of Service) Measure 2009, the term of office of a person who holds office under Common Tenure (which includes archbishops, bishops and most other clergy) is terminated:
• on the death of the office holder
• by resignation
• on attaining the mandatory retirement age (subject to any extension)
• where the office ceases to exist
• where the office holder is removed from office under the Clergy Discipline Measure 2003
• on the expiry of a fixed term appointment (where applicable)
• under the capability procedures.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukcm/2009/1/contents
It is for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to determine what guidance it issues to political parties. Equalities Ministers will have periodic discussions with their Cabinet Office colleagues on matters of mutual policy interest. 'Belief’ is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, meaning any religious or philosophical belief, rather than political opinion. As such, the issue of guidance on political belief discrimination that purportedly related to the Equality Act’s protected characteristics would be misleading.
The Office for Equality and Opportunity’s role in informing Government policy on marriage relates to equality and discrimination, as it is responsible for the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, which include marriage and civil partnership.
While the Office for Equality and Opportunity work with the Ministry of Justice on issues relating to equality, the Ministry of Justice is responsible for marriage law.
Minimal costs were incurred in the rebranding of the Equality Hub to the Office of Equality and Opportunity as it was a renaming exercise rather than a Machinery of Government change. Therefore, there has been no programme or digital expenditure to date and only minimal administrative time by current employees.
The employer contribution rate is determined by the Civil Service Pension Scheme Valuation, which takes place every four years, with current rates being set following the 2020 valuation.
Details of the past service deficit are available on pages 22-25 of the 2020 Civil Service Pension Scheme Valuation available at https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/media/qgbfvy5h/civil-service-gb-valuation-report_18_9_23_accessible.pdf
The Government has recently accepted the recommendation from the Senior Salaries Review Body for a fundamental review of the Senior Civil Service pay and reward frameworks.
The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of Ministers, including the overarching duty to comply with the law.
The Code sets out guidance on the acceptance of gifts and hospitality, stipulating that Ministers should not accept any gift, hospitality, or service which would, or might reasonably appear to, compromise their judgement or place them under an obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence their work in government. The Code also explains how details of ministerial gifts or hospitality received will be published, and that gifts given to Ministers in their ministerial capacity become the property of the government.
The Cabinet Office is engaging constructively with the Intelligence and Security Committee, and will continue to do so.
The Cabinet Office is engaging constructively with the Intelligence and Security Committee, and will continue to do so.
A Quality and Methodology Information report on the Risk Vulnerability Tool will be published, as is usual for government statistics.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer on 10 June 2025 (PQ 56482).
Pay arrangements, including those for London, are delegated to each department. The Cabinet Office does not have a London Weighting Allowance. There are separate London and National pay ranges. An individual’s pay, paid as a salary, is determined by the location of their designated office, as set out in their contract.
The pension scheme administration is transitioning from MyCSP to Capita, with a formal transfer scheduled for December 2025. The Cabinet Office has outlined 12 Transition Milestones to ensure a smooth transfer, with payments to Capita contingent on meeting deliverables to the standards set by the Cabinet Office Future Services Team.
After the transition, the new contract includes 38 Performance Indicators that monitor service delivery to ensure accountability and high-quality service throughout the contract period.
The Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Expenditure Guidance, published on 14 May 2024, sets out a number of controls in relation to Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) spend and activity across the Civil Service, including: Standalone EDI staffing roles should be incorporated into broader HR.
As part of the ongoing refurbishment works on the 4th Floor of 70 Whitehall, the Cabinet Office has submitted an application for the installation of a ceiling within the southern lift shaft. The total budget for this work, including all fees and VAT, is £280k.
The referenced cost declared in the Cabinet Office transparency return was associated with the UK-Ireland Summit.
The Government Communication Service (GCS) Propriety & Ethics Guidance applies to all civil servants.
This information is not held by the Cabinet Office.
Contracts are established by the contracting authority (customer) with the supplier. It is the contracting authority's responsibility to assess the need for, and timing of, any break clauses in the contract based on their specific requirements.
I refer the right hon. member to the answer given to PQ 60018, given on 19 June 2025.
There are no specific data requirements under the UK’s membership of the international Open Government Partnership (OGP) relating to property condition reporting.
The Government Property Data Standard (GPDS), specified by the government’s functional lead for property, the Office of Government Property (OGP), within the Cabinet Office, does include a defined building condition metric. The Government Property Data Standard is mandated for use across all central government departments. The standard currently includes requirements for reporting on building condition metrics using a four-tier rating system.
Departments are expected to report against this standard as part of business-as-usual property data returns. Plans are underway to improve the quality of this data and work towards making condition data publicly available in due course.
I refer the Rt Hon member to the answer given on 22 May in response to question 54012.
Decisions made under the Act may be subject to judicial review. The Government currently has no plans to change this.
All acquisitions considered under the NSI Act are assessed on a case by case basis, taking account of all relevant considerations.
Decisions made under the Act may be subject to judicial review. The Government currently has no plans to change this.
All acquisitions considered under the NSI Act are assessed on a case by case basis, taking account of all relevant considerations.
In addition to the Machinery of Government changes set out in the Answer of 10 October 2024 to Question 5278, there have been two further Written Ministerial Statements on changes which affect the Cabinet Office:
On 17 January 2025, it was announced that responsibility for all of the Infrastructure and Project Authority’s functions and responsibilities, including the Government’s project delivery expertise and functions, and assurance reviews for the Government’s largest projects, will move from the Cabinet Office to HM Treasury.
On 3 June 2025, it was announced that responsibility for government and public sector cyber security will move from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Any other such changes would be announced in the normal way.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 16th June is attached.
The Cabinet Office does not centrally estimate, nor hold information on when proposed arm’s-length bodies will be operational. Departments are responsible for setting target dates for the establishment of their proposed new bodies.
The Government is determined to ensure the £385 billion of public money spent on public procurement annually delivers economic growth, supports small businesses, champions innovation, creates good jobs and skills opportunities across the country, and maximises social value.
To build on progress made to date and the Government’s new National Procurement Policy Statement, we will consult with stakeholders on further reforms to public procurement to drive economic growth and support jobs and skills.
As the sponsor Minister for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, I stand ready to help and assist in any way I can to speed up the payments. I am restless for the speed of delivery to increase, including considering what data could be identified to help process claims quickly, while always respecting IBCA’s operational independence and the need to prevent fraud.
The Trustees of the Consolidated Fund provide details of pension scheme liabilities for the European Parliamentary (United Kingdom Representatives) Pension Scheme, which was open to UK Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) elected up to 2009. This information is in the public domain.