Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the gov.uk One Login system’s certification with the register of digital verification services has been revoked.
Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
In April 2025, GOV.UK One Login’s Trust Framework certification was suspended due to a supply chain issue where one supplier allowed their certification to lapse. This suspension is not due to any change in One Login’s product, approach, or security. GOV.UK One Login is working to recertify as a priority.Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure greater transparency on the individual works of art displayed by public bodies from the Government Art Collection.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government Art Collection contains over 15,000 works of art which are displayed in UK government buildings in the UK, and in more than 125 countries around the world. All artworks in the Government Art Collection are listed online and their locations can be searched.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, who the lead policy official is in 10 Downing Street.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Director of the Policy Unit is the lead policy civil servant in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 44962 on Government Departments: Cost Effectiveness, whether the 2025-26 baseline for the 15% saving in administration budgets includes departmental efficiency savings announced in July 2024.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The savings and efficiencies announced in July 2024 helped to address spending pressures identified through the public spending audit. These included a 2% savings against government administration budgets.
In the Spring Statement, the Chancellor announced that all departments would be expected to make a 15% reduction in their administration budgets by 2029-30. This used 2025-26 budgets as published at Autumn Budget 24 as the baseline, which included in-year changes, for example employers’ National Insurance Contributions.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the No10 (a) press office and (b) grid team were involved in releasing the Strategic Defence Review to the media.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Strategic Defence Review was announced in Parliament on June 2 by my Rt Hon Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 2 June 2025 to Question 51450 on Freedom of Information and Written Questions: Costs, what the hourly rate of assessing staff time is for the Parliamentary Question disproportionate cost threshold.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
As set out in paragraph 219 of the guide to Parliamentary work, the disproportionate cost threshold is set at 140% of the Freedom of Information cost limit for central government, which is currently £600. The Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004 set out that costs for these purposes are to be estimated at a rate of £25 per hour.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the publication entitled DHSC register of board members' interests, 2024 to 2025, published on 16 January 2025, who the health and social care related clients of A.M. Strategy Ltd are.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Declarations of interest, and any updates to them, are published in the Register of Interests in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts, and on the GOV.UK website, in alignment with Government policy.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Councils to seize and crush fly-tipping vehicles to clean up Britain, published on 29 April 2025 whether the Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team was consulted on its publication.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Government departments do not comment on or share internal advice. Any announcements made during the pre-election period are carefully considered and taken in line with the principles set out under the Civil Service guidance.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether there is a limit on the number of ordinary written parliamentary questions that Rt hon. and hon. Members can table in hard copy on a sitting day.
Answered by Nick Smith
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).
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's publication entitled CS EDI Expenditure Review Data, published on 29 May 2025, which external organisations provided consultancy to advice by third party providers in 2023-24.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review, which was commissioned by the previous administration, asked for consultancy expenditure. It did not collect specific information regarding consultancy providers.