Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has considered implementing the measures suggested by the International Energy Agency following the global oil and gas supply issues resulting from Iranian efforts to impede oil and gas transfers via the straight of Hormuz.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department works closely with the International Energy Agency to monitor oil and gas markets, including risks arising from disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. The IEA has published a range of potential measures as advice to governments across the world. These are recommendations rather than requirements.
The Government has no current plans to implement the measures suggested and will continue to work with industry and international partners to safeguard energy security.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the number of potholes filled in (a) 2023–24, (b) 2024-25 (c) 2025-26.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As announced in March 2025, local highway authorities had to publish transparency reports about their highways maintenance activities to unlock their full share of the Government’s £500m uplift for local highways maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year. This included publishing an estimate of the number of potholes they have filled in each of the last five years. Reports are now available on local highway authorities’ websites.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what oversight the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency exercises over the International Parking Community (IPC) as an accredited trade association whose members access DVLA vehicle keeper data; whether the DVLA requires accredited trade associations to maintain publicly available contact details, including an office address; whether the DVLA has made an assessment of the governance and ownership arrangements of the IPC, including any transfer of ownership or control; and what criteria the DVLA applies when determining whether an accredited trade association remains eligible to access DVLA vehicle keeper data on behalf of its members.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The law permits the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to disclose the contact details of registered keepers of UK vehicles for a number of lawful purposes. Information needed to manage parking on private land is provided only to private parking operators that are members of an appropriate Accredited Trade Association (ATA). The two ATAs for the private parking sector set and enforce their own codes of practice and private parking companies must meet these requirements to retain their membership. This helps ensure motorists are treated fairly.
The DVLA meets regularly with both ATAs to discuss their effectiveness and relevant issues. Contact details for each ATA are available on their respective websites and there is no requirement for an office address. The Department for Transport does not regulate the private parking sector and is not responsible for determining the governance or ownership arrangements of the ATAs. The ATAs do not themselves request or receive vehicle keeper details from the DVLA.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2026 to Question 117436 on Buses: Electric Vehicles, when she expects officials to complete their investigation into reports on Chinese-manufactured electric buses; which month she expects to (a) publish the findings and (b) update the Transport Committee; and whether she has made an interim risk assessment in relation to ongoing and planned publicly funded zero-emission bus procurements.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Transport Secretary remains committed to updating the Transport Select Committee on the reports on ‘Yutong’ electric buses.
It would not be appropriate to disclose any information before first updating the Committee.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish the DVSA's fees strategy.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As DVSA’s fees are set out in legislation, any changes require a statutory process, including public consultation and subsequent legislative amendments. DVSA will publish details of any fee changes when consulting as part of the statutory process.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 116788, if she will make an assessment of the annual cost to police forces of (a) administering roadside drug-impairment tests and (b) drug-driving testing.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not made an assessment on the costs to police forces for administering roadside drug-impartment tests under section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and drug driving testing under section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to introduce nationally consistent guidance on the interpretation of regulations governing abnormal load movements and police escort requirements.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
There are no current plans by government to introduce national guidance governing the movement of abnormal loads.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of a full-time employee of the Crown Prosecution Service serving in the role of Lead Adjudicator for the Independent Appeals Service; and whether the CPS has undertaken any assessment of potential conflicts of interest, reputational risk, or due diligence requirements associated with CPS staff holding external roles.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has established policies and procedures in place to identify, declare and manage actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest, including where members of staff hold external roles or appointments.
The CPS Code of Conduct requires employees to seek written permission from their Head of Area Operations/HQ Business Manager before taking up any second employment or other engagement, whether paid or unpaid, and to ensure that any such work does not conflict with the performance of their duties, create a conflict of loyalty or interest, or damage (or potentially damage) public confidence in the CPS.
The CPS Conflicts of Interest Policy and Procedure requires staff to declare relevant outside interests as they arise and to keep declarations under review. Declarations are assessed by management, and decisions (including any mitigations required to address any real or perceived risks) are recorded to ensure an appropriate audit trail.
Where a declared interest raises particular reputational or propriety concerns, the policy provides for advice to be sought as appropriate, and for steps to be taken to remove or mitigate any conflict. Failures to declare relevant interests, or breaches of the Code of Conduct or Conflicts of Interest policy, may be considered under the CPS disciplinary procedures.
As a matter of longstanding practice, it is not appropriate to comment on the employment details of individual members of staff. Any external role or appointment is considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the CPS policies set out above.
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 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.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer of 25th March 2026, Official Report, PQ 116506.
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 Freedom of Information response reference FOI-251202287377 of 9 January 2026, if he will place a copy of the training modules on close relative marriage and genetic risk for (a) midwives and (b) health visitors in the Library; and if he will place a copy of the associated guidance on submitting data on consanguinity and pregnancy to the Maternity Services Dataset in the Library.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Learning Hub originally had five training modules on close relative marriage and genetic risk. Three of these modules were retired in October 2025. The remaining two modules were subsequently updated and can be found online on the NHS Learning Hub, which is available at the following link:
https://learninghub.nhs.uk/Catalogue/close-relative-marriage
The guidance on submitting data on consanguinity and pregnancy to the Maternity Services Dataset can be found on the NHS England Digital website, which is at the following link:
There are currently no plans to place a copy of the training modules on close relative marriage and genetic risk or a copy of the guidance on submitting data on consanguinity and pregnancy to the Commons Library as these are publicly available.