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, whether her Department has considered amending section 30 of the Countryside Act 1968 to permit equestrians to use rights of way currently designated as footpaths; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of such an amendment on access for horse riders to the countryside; and what assessment she has made of the level of the administrative workload associated with upgrading footpaths to bridleways through the existing rights of way modification process.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has no plans to amend section 30 of the Countryside Act 1968 to permit equestrian use of footpaths and as such, has not assessed the potential im-pact of this change.
Defra has not made a specific assessment of the administrative workload associated with upgrading footpaths to bridleways through the definitive map modification order process. Applications are considered by local authorities in the first instance. Where orders are made and objections are received, they may be referred to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) for determination, which can extend the time taken to reach a de-cision. Timescales vary depending on factors such as complexity and the presence of objections, and local authorities and PINS may also have a backlog of applications.
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 16 October 2025 to Question 74236, if she will set out (a) the decision-making process used by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency when assessing applications to renew driving licences for drivers aged over 70; (b) what evidence is considered when determining whether a driver meets the eyesight requirements for licensing; and (c) what weight is given to recent eyesight tests conducted by qualified opticians when assessing whether an applicant aged over 70 meets the required visual standards.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The driver licensing framework in Great Britain is designed to be balanced and proportionate. Drivers of all ages are legally required to notify the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they develop a medical condition, or if an existing condition worsens, that may affect their ability to drive.
Driving licences expire at the age of 70 and must be renewed every three years thereafter. This renewal process provides a regular opportunity for older drivers to consider their health and fitness to drive, recognising that health and vision may deteriorate with age.
All drivers are responsible for ensuring that they meet the statutory eyesight standards, including the use of corrective lenses where required. Where a driver declares a medical condition that may affect vision, the DVLA may require a vision assessment, which can be accessed for free at Specsavers. These examinations are conducted in accordance with DVLA specifications to determine whether the legal visual standards are met. Drivers can submit the results of an eyesight test done by another optician as long as it includes an ‘Esterman visual test’.
Depending on the outcome of the assessment and the information provided, a driver may retain their licence, be issued with a time-limited licence subject to ongoing review, or where an individual does not meet the required standards, their driving licence will be revoked or their application refused.
Further information on the eyesight standards for driving is available on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/driving-eyesight-rules. The Department for Transport is currently consulting on proposals to introduce mandatory eyesight testing for drivers aged 70 and over. Further details are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-safety-strategy and https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/introducing-mandatory-eyesight-testing-for-older-drivers.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Solicitor General, whether officials in their Department are permitted to use Government Car Service cars.
Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)
The Attorney General’s Office follows central government guidance on domestic ministerial travel, as set out in the Civil Service Management Code (2016).
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether officials in his Department are permitted to use Government Car Service cars.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government Car Service provides transport for Ministers and occasionally officials undertaking official duties. Its use is governed by the Ministerial Code and departmental travel policies to ensure journeys are necessary and represent value for money.
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 4 March 2026 to Question 116553 on the Highway Code, what evidential basis was used when Rule H1 was drafted to include motorcycles.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The previous Government updated the Highway Code in 2022 to improve road safety for people walking, cycling and riding horses including the introduction of a hierarchy of road users.
I understand that the Department for Transport worked with an expert stakeholder group representing different users of the road and conducted a 12-week formal consultation.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Department expects DfT Operator Limited to deliver a 3.5 per cent real return as set out in paragraph 11.43 of the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO) is the government’s public sector rail owning group. As a head office it is responsible for overseeing its rail operator subsidiary companies. DfT Operator Ltd therefore has minimal external trading activity and therefore it is not currently required to achieve a specific return on capital employed.
The Government does, however, expect DFTO Group to make efficiencies and savings through public ownership of rail services and from rail reform with the creation of Great British Railways. These efficiencies contribute to the more than 50 per cent reduction in the rail passenger services subsidy from £2.4 billion in 2024-25.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in what month and year her Department expects to make a decision on whether to proceed with any developments to the Northern Powerhouse Rail route referred to in the Answer of 26 February 2026 to Question 107146.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is currently discussing the detail and timing of that work with Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding her Department has provided through DfT Operator Limited to increase the number of rail training places.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The DfT funds DFTO Train Operating Companies directly for a range of activities including training, agreed during the rolling business planning process. This is currently not through DfT Operator Limited.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many locations on the strategic road network have been identified by her Department as having significant flooding risks.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Current National Highways data (up to 28 February 2026) shows that there are 1,418 sub-catchments containing locations that have a high-flood risk (out of a total of 10,873 sub-catchments along the Strategic Road Network).
Catchments are defined as a group of all the drainage systems and the adjacent land they drain between two geographical high points of the Strategic Road Network. Catchments are typically further divided into sub-catchments, such as one for each carriageway direction or junction.
National Highways operates a comprehensive road inspection and maintenance programme. Drainage assets are inspected and maintained in line with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. Where flooding hotspots are identified, inspections are carried out more frequently, and improvements are considered.
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 9 March 2026 to Question 116554 on Hybrid Vehicles: Safety, whether there are areas of transport safety policy which the Government considers to be of paramount importance where the Department (a) does not hold the underlying analysis used to inform that policy and (b) has not assessed the effectiveness of that analysis.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In developing transport safety policy, the Government draws on a broad range of evidence to support policy development and decisions. This includes using existing independent evidence where it is sourced from robust and reliable research, alongside commissioning specific Government-funded studies when necessary to fill evidence gaps or complement and corroborate existing findings.