Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 117909, how many customers have been referred to DVSA Driving Examiner roles via Jobcentre Plus in each of the six priority locations.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
A total of 85 customers were referred by DWP to DVSA Test Centres across the six priority locations. From this number, 37 passed the assessment and have been offered roles. DVSA provided feedback on a further 26 who were unsuccessful but showed clear potential and stated it would like to support these customers with a further test if DWP can provide refresher training. The remaining 22 customers were unsuccessful.
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 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.
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 for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 16 February 2026 to Question 111447 on Railways: Repairs and Maintenance, what the benefit-cost ratio is for each rail infrastructure project under construction on the Network Rail network; and what the most recent benefit-cost ratio assessments are for (i) the Ely Area Capacity Enhancement scheme and (ii) the Horley Junction improvement scheme (iii) dualling of single sections of the Clitheroe to Manchester Victoria line.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Business case documents and the benefit-cost ratios (BCRs) for major schemes, including relevant schemes in the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline, will be published on gov.uk when the full business case is approved. BCRs are not always published until the final approval.
It should be noted that BCRs are only one element of decision-making on proposed rail infrastructure projects and should be considered within the context of the five-case business model (Strategic, Economic, Financial, Commercial and Management) used in Government.
The Ely Area Capacity Enhancement (EACE) scheme’s Outline Business Case (OBC) had a BCR of 4.89 when the scheme was paused by the previous government in 2022.
The 2019 Outline Business Case for Haughley Junction upgrades indicated a BCR of 0.5.
No BCR assessment has been made of the dualling of single sections of the Clitheroe to Manchester Victoria line at this point.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 120045 on British Business Bank, what the total monetary value is of support provided to funds, schemes and portfolio companies described as relating to (a) net zero, (b) decarbonisation, (c) sustainability, (d) climate transition and (e) the green economy in (i) 2024–25 and (ii) 2025–26 financial years; and if he will provide a breakdown by (A) programme and scheme, including but not limited to the Growth Guarantee Scheme, Start Up Loans, and the Green Growth Guarantee Scheme the (B) type of support, including direct investment, guarantees and co-investment and (C) the number of recipient businesses and funds supported under each category.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The British Business Bank does not centrally classify funds, schemes or portfolio companies under the categories of net zero, decarbonisation, sustainability, climate transition or the green economy in the form requested.
The Bank’s approach is to embed support for the transition to net zero and sustainable growth across its full range of programmes, rather than through standalone business lines. As such, these objectives are reflected across its activities, including through direct co-investment, investment in venture and growth capital funds, and lending delivered through programmes such as Start Up Loans and the Growth Guarantee Scheme.
As set out in the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 120045, the Bank has in both 2024-25 and 2025-26 invested in, capitalised, and supported through guarantees or co-investment a number of funds, schemes and portfolio companies with these characteristics.
As these activities are embedded across programmes, a comprehensive breakdown of total monetary value by category, programme or scheme, type of support, and number of recipient businesses and funds is not held in a single reportable format.
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 12 March 2026 to Question 118861 on Approved Driving Instructors: Standards, whether (a) her Department and (b) the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency plans to introduce arrangements to (i) recognise and (ii) quality assure driving instructors who train approved driving instructors.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Anyone wishing to become an ADI must pass the statutory ADI tests. More information on the steps to becoming an ADI can be found on GOV.UK.
To maintain and monitor standards of instruction, each ADI can be called by the ADI Registrar for a standards check. This covers all ADIs including those who might be training potential new instructors.
While ADIs do not need an extra qualification if they also want to train driving instructors, they previously had the opportunity to join the voluntary official register of driving instructor training (ORDIT). In 2023, the previous government made the decision to suspend the ORDIT scheme. The DVSA is now engaging with the training industry to discuss how and when the scheme should resume.
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 5 March 2026 to Question 116791, on what date the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) was first asked to provide input on the guidance entitled Floating Bus Stops: Provision and Design; when that input was received; and what recommendations DPTAC made to Ministers.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
On 9 August 2024, the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC) issued an advice note on floating bus stops following the publication of research by Living Streets. Officials working on the floating bus stop guidance were aware of this advice.
DfT officials met with DPTAC before the guidance was drafted, and consulted them throughout the development of the guidance.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the use of Norwegian-style drill-and-blast tunnelling methods in the construction of UK transport tunnels; and whether she has considered the use of a Private Bill procedure for the authorisation and delivery of tunnel construction projects.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Norwegian style drill and blast tunnelling is generally suited to continuous hardrock geology that is not characteristic of most interurban routes in the UK. Instead, the latter frequently involves tunnelling through highly variable ground conditions including clay, weak, weathered or fractured rock and sands and gravels submerged in high-pressure ground water. Modern tunnelboring machines (TBMs) are able to cope with such variable geology and prevent the excavation face of the tunnel catastrophically collapsing before the tunnel is lined with concrete.
That said, the choice of tunnelling method will depend very much on local ground conditions for each major road or rail project. TBMs are frequently tailor-made to suit those ground conditions. The department would always look to tunnelling experts to recommend the most cost-effective method for a particular tunnel and we would not rule out drill-and-blast if it was through suitable rock.
For most tunnelling projects existing statutory consenting routes remain available, and the use of a Private Bill would only be considered where there is a specific and compelling justification.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of oversight arrangements governing access to vehicle keeper data held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency by private parking operators through accredited trade associations.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Regulation 27 of the Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) Regulations 2002 permits the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to release vehicle keeper details in certain limited circumstances, subject to appropriate safeguards.
Vehicle keeper data is only made available to private parking operators who are members of an appropriate Accredited Trade Association (ATA). The ATAs are responsible for setting and enforcing codes of practice for their members. The DVLA undertakes compliance checks and auditing to help ensure that requests for data are made for a proper purpose and that information released is used appropriately.
The safeguards in place to protect personal data are kept under review to ensure they continue to provide appropriate protection.