Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has considered the effectiveness of household fuseboards in reducing fire risk.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Part P of the Building Regulations 2010 covers electrical safety in dwellings and is intended to protect people from fire or injury. In England, installation of new household circuits, addition or alteration of circuits in specified locations and replacement of a consumer unit or fuse board are notifiable electrical works and must comply with Building Regulations Part P. In existing buildings, fire risk assessments under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 require responsible persons to demonstrate how they are managing fire safety in their buildings, which may include risk arising from electrical equipment.
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 2 March 2026 to Question 115050, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the exit of Zipcar from parts of the UK on the car-sharing market; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that exit on the future viability of the car-sharing sector.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Department wants sustainable transport options to be available to all. The Department is assessing the evidence base and considering how best to support the car sharing sector and ensure the right measures are in place to support car clubs and other shared vehicle services across the UK.
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 make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the difference in colour vision medical standards between the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the (a) Irish Aviation Authority, (b) Federal Aviation Administration in the US, (c) Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia and (d) Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand; how many pilots have (i) been denied and (ii) lost an initial Class 1 medical certificate due solely to colour vision deficiency in the last five years; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of colour vision medical standards on pilot (A) recruitment and (B) retention.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK approach to pilot colour vision testing involves initial screening using Ishihara test plates. Where applicants make a single error, advanced colour vision testing using the Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test is required to measure colour vision. The CAD test is one of the few tests designed around a colour dependent aviation task. Applicants with normal or mild impairment are assessed as fit, whilst those with significant colour vision impairment are assessed as unfit. In the absence of evidence published in peer review literature regarding the effectiveness of operational assessments, the CAA only accepts CAD testing for advanced colour vision testing.
We have no evidence to suggest that the UK CAA’s colour vison standards have a significant impact on pilot recruitment. Our aim is to foster a diverse and inclusive sector, while ensuring that the highest standards of aviation safety are maintained. Prospective pilots apply for the initial issuance of a Class 1 medical certificate prior to commencing/being accepted for training to become a commercial pilot. There are currently around 22,000 commercial pilots in the UK. Between 1 April 2021 and 31 January 2026, there were 6,930 initial Class 1 medical examinations in the UK. Only 18 applicants for a Class 1 certificate during this period (0.3% of total) were assessed as unfit solely due to colour vision impairment.
There should also be no impact on pilot retention, since following successful application for a Class 1 medical certificate, a certificate holder would only lose their certificate if they developed a significant condition that may also be associated with colour vision impairment such as macular degeneration with visual loss. Such conditions tend to occur much later in life.
While other regulators may take differing approaches, the UK approach is aligned with international norms. In the absence of peer reviewed evidence regarding the effectiveness of alternative approaches, the UK is engaging with the ICAO-led work referenced in my previous response.
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 27 January 2026 to Question 106601, what the (a) operating revenue, (b) operating costs and (c) net cost of onboard catering were for TransPennine Express in each financial year between 1995–96 and 2024–25.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
We are only able to provide data since the transfer into public ownership in May 2023. The data for 2023/24 (May onward) and 2024/25 are:
£'000 | 23/24 | 24/25 |
Catering Costs | 5,205 | 8,668 |
Catering Revenue | 1,077 | 1,897 |
Net Cost | 4,128 | 6,772 |
The difference in cost is explained by the fact that 2023/24 is a part year, and 2024/25 is a full year, with the one-off implementation costs of TransPennine Trains’ (TPT) ‘Coast to Coast’ catering set up in that year.
Catering is a service offer on most of the longer distance operators, including TPT, whose core business is leisure travel, and where journey lengths are often in excess of two hours. Revenue generated by First Class, in which catering is an important feature, is also an important part of TPT's business model. The revenue numbers do not include fares income generated by the availability of catering on board TPT services, which are captured within TPT's wider reporting on revenues by route.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research her Department has commissioned and reviewed on emerging drug-driving testing technologies that are more cost-effective and provide faster processing than oral fluid tests; what steps she is taking to accelerate the adoption of such technologies by police forces; and what guidance and financial support she provides to ensure that police budgets do not limit the frequency of drug-driving testing.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The enforcement of road traffic law and how available resources are deployed is the responsibility of individual Chief Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners, taking into account local problems and demands. The police are operationally independent.
We will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.
Building on the success of the Roads Policing Review, the Department is developing a new Roads Policing Innovation Programme (RPIP), working with key partners in enforcement and compliance, including the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
Alongside the recently published Road Safety Strategy, which sets out wider government plans to improve road safety across enforcement, infrastructure, vehicle safety and post‑collision care, this work will help ensure that policing and enforcement activities continue to evolve in line with emerging evidence and priorities.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate in light of the February 2026 decision by the Government of Canada to repeal its EV sales mandate.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Government continues to monitor regulatory approaches to support the transition to zero emission vehicles in other countries. These vary depending on the economic, market, and geographic circumstances of each country.
The UK remains a leader in the ZEV transition, and the ZEV Mandate remains essential to meeting our objectives on air quality, energy security and industrial policy as well as delivering on our climate commitments. We will publish a review of the ZEV Mandate in early 2027, with preparations beginning this year.
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 115453 on Railways: Government Assistance, what the decrease in support is expected to be in each year of the spending review period.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport's support for the 14 contracted operators and Network Rail was £8.47 per journey in 2024/25. It is currently estimated that this will steadily decrease to just over £7 per journey in 2028/29. This means an average year on year reduction of 4.3%.
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, what estimate her Department has made of the level of import of (a) maize, (b) oilseed rape, (c) ethanol and (d) wheat in each of the next five years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Imports supplement domestic production and ensure any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease do not affect the UK's overall security of food supply. The UK agricultural sector is highly resilient and adaptable and operates in an open market where the value of commodities is established by those in the supply chain.
For cereals crops produced domestically, including wheat, barley, oats, and oil seed, the UK has continuously been over 80% self-sufficient in domestic production for the past 20 years. In 2023, estimates indicate 76% of the crop-derived bioethanol for road transport originated from crops grown outside the UK. An estimated 24% originated from crops grown in the UK, which was mainly made up of bioethanol derived from UK-grown wheat.
From recent UK supply and demand estimates produced by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, data suggests a competitive demand for domestic feed grains has been offsetting maize imports.
Defra does not maintain any estimates of expected levels of imports over the coming years. The level of imports will vary from year to year depending on market needs and disruption to domestic production.
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, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of imports of (a) maize, (b) oilseed rape, (c) ethanol and (d) wheat on UK farmers and domestic markets.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Imports supplement domestic production and ensure any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease do not affect the UK's overall security of food supply. The UK agricultural sector is highly resilient and adaptable and operates in an open market where the value of commodities is established by those in the supply chain.
For cereals crops produced domestically, including wheat, barley, oats, and oil seed, the UK has continuously been over 80% self-sufficient in domestic production for the past 20 years. In 2023, estimates indicate 76% of the crop-derived bioethanol for road transport originated from crops grown outside the UK. An estimated 24% originated from crops grown in the UK, which was mainly made up of bioethanol derived from UK-grown wheat.
From recent UK supply and demand estimates produced by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, data suggests a competitive demand for domestic feed grains has been offsetting maize imports.
Defra does not maintain any estimates of expected levels of imports over the coming years. The level of imports will vary from year to year depending on market needs and disruption to domestic production.
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, how many pet microchip databases are authorised for use in England; what regulatory oversight she exercises over (i) pricing structures, (ii) subscription models and (iii) data access arrangements operated by microchip database providers; what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the number of commercial microchip database operators on animal welfare and pet theft prevention; and whether she has considered establishing a statutory framework to require (a) interoperability and (b) a mandatory central lookup facility across approved databases.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Since the introduction of compulsory dog microchipping in 2016, the number of compliant database operators has increased from four to 24. While this gives consumers more choice, it has made it harder for authorised users to access records quickly.
Defra is working with the Association of Microchip Database Operators (AMDO) to develop improvements to how the microchipping regime operates. AMDO is currently testing industry‑led solutions that will give authorised users digital access to database information through a single point of search.
Pet microchipping databases are operated by commercial providers and Defra does not regulate how much they charge for their services. However, all compliant database operators must ensure that they can redirect an online request for a microchip record to the database operator that holds the record. Defra monitors compliance with these requirements and will act where a database operator is failing to meet them.
Defra has not assessed the potential impact of the number of pet microchip databases on reunification times or enforcement under the Pet Abduction Act 2024.