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 115048 on local road maintenance, what specific guidance was provided, and whether it included advice on the political composition of councils.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Advice was provided to ministers in line with standard procedures.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the projected market price per litre of conventional aviation turbine fuel (Jet A-1) in each year from 2025 to 2040 and (b) the marginal cost difference per litre between conventional aviation turbine fuel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel in each of those years.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Royal Air Force in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence Directorate Analytics are able to provide an estimated cost of the price per litre of both Conventional Aviation Turbine and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in each year from 2025-2040, and the marginal cost difference between them. However, the data in the below table is subject to change dependent on market fluctuation of fuel costs.
The below forecasts are in United States Dollars (USD) per litre and will be subjected to currency conversion, which is changeable. Oil is generally bought and sold on the market in USD.
Year | Estimated cost in USD per litre for conventional aviation fuel | Estimated cost in USD per litre for SAF | Estimated cost difference between SAF and conventional aviation Fuel per litre |
2025 | 0.56 | 1.62 | 1.06 |
2026 | 0.48 | 1.50 | 1.02 |
2027 | 0.52 | 1.54 | 1.02 |
2028 | 0.56 | 1.61 | 1.05 |
2029 | 0.56 | 1.62 | 1.06 |
2030 | 0.58 | 1.66 | 1.07 |
2031 | 0.58 | 1.65 | 1.07 |
2032 | 0.59 | 1.67 | 1.07 |
2033 | 0.61 | 1.69 | 1.08 |
2034 | 0.62 | 1.70 | 1.09 |
2035 | 0.63 | 1.72 | 1.09 |
2036 | 0.64 | 1.74 | 1.10 |
2037 | 0.65 | 1.76 | 1.10 |
2038 | 0.66 | 1.77 | 1.11 |
2039 | 0.67 | 1.79 | 1.12 |
2040 | 0.69 | 1.81 | 1.12 |
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 113833, what consideration her Department has given to introducing a national standard definition of a pothole, including minimum size and safety thresholds.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Well‑managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice, which is in the process of being updated, advises that local highway authorities should use a risk‑based approach when assessing and repairing defects. The Code does not define a national pothole size or threshold; instead, it recommends that each authority determine its own intervention criteria based on local circumstances, usage and risk. This reflects the fact that local highway authorities have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended) to maintain the highways network in their area.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) how many full or partial weekend closures affecting London Liverpool Street services have occurred since July 2024; b) what assessment she has made of the economic impact of weekend engineering works on commuters and businesses in eastern England; and c) what steps her Department is taking to improve network resilience during major engineering works.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
It is very rare to close Liverpool Street on a weekend for longer than 27 hours and not on a Saturday. Network Rail will occasionally consider closing the full station on a Sunday as, with train operators, they can offer alternative travel options into London for passengers. However, there have been some full weekend closures of Liverpool Street station because of extensive eight-day engineering blocks undertaken over Christmas 2024 and 2025 to carry out major roof renovations at the station. Note that on these occasions, services terminated at Stratford, with connections into the Liverpool Street area available.
Network Rail analyses routes across the whole of the UK to minimise disruption to critical passenger and freight flows such as those to London Gateway and Felixstowe reducing the impact to a minimum as practically as possible.
Network Rail plans major engineering works to coincide with expected low overall passenger demand (for example, by not planning works on popular seaside routes in mid-Summer). Network Rail aims to maintain operational resilience, to minimise disruption, and to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of major engineering works, and timely completion of those works.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) whether she has considered adopting a practical in-flight colour vision assessment model, such as the Aviation Operational Colour Vision Assessment used by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia, b) what assessment she has made of the potential benefits of introducing an operational colour vision assessment in the UK, and c) whether she plans to consult the Civil Aviation Authority on implementing a practical colour vision flight test.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Pilot colour vision testing is an issue that is considered by aviation authorities across the world. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is in discussion with national aviation authorities, including the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), about developments in this area including the use of operational assessments and determining their safety and effectiveness.
The CAA has worked with City University, London, to develop the colour assessment and diagnosis (CAD) test and this has allowed them to pass 35% of applicants with a colour vision deficiency, including some who failed the lantern tests used previously. An independent analysis reported that only the CAD test and anomaloscopes (when used correctly) have 100% sensitivity and specificity when assessing colour vision. While other aviation authorities, including the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), are starting to use operational assessments, this is as part of a wider suite of tests.
The CAA only accepts CAD testing for advanced colour vision testing, in the absence of evidence published in peer review literature regarding the effectiveness of operational assessments. CAD testing is easier to deploy than operational assessments and there is agreement among several aviation authorities that operational assessments need to be properly validated and compared with current methods for colour vision testing.
The CAA recognises that colour vision testing is an important matter for the pilot community and are committed to reviewing the safety evidence as it emerges. The priority remains to ensure that we are satisfied with the safety implications of any potential assessment solutions.
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 January 2026 to Question 71251 on Street Trading: Westminster Bridge, what discussions he has had with the (a) police and (b) local authority on ice cream vans parking on red lines on Westminster Bridge.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
All vehicles operating within this zone are a matter for the police. They continue to monitor the situation and maintain contact with relevant partners.
In line with policy under successive administrations, security arrangements within the Government Secure Zone are not subject to detailed public disclosure.
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 reinstating voltage optimisation technologies in the Energy Saving Materials framework.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ has not considered reinstating voltage optimisation technologies in the Energy Saving Materials framework due to limitations in the performance of the technology. Voltage optimisers work by reducing the voltage to close to the lower permitted limit of 216.2V. Devices such as electric fires and incandescent lamps lower their energy consumption at lower voltages but also work less well – being less effective at heating or lighting. Power controlled devices such as LED lighting, heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers do not lower their energy consumption, and for these, voltage optimisers are ineffective.
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 115060, what examples her Department has identified of (a) decarbonisation of road maintenance operations and (b) preventative lower-carbon treatments referred to in Metric 9 of the Methodology used to calculate ratings for local road maintenance; and if she will publish the evidential basis for their inclusion in that metric.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Examples of activities relevant under this metric include the more efficient management of vehicle movements to both increase operational efficiency and cut carbon emissions. They also include the greater adoption of preventative road surface treatments, such as preservation, rejuvenation or surface dressing. These techniques keep roads in good condition for longer and prevent potholes, while also reducing carbon emissions and costs.
The Local Government Association published guidance for local highway authorities last year, which provides an overview of different road resurfacing techniques and sets out the benefits of preventative techniques in terms of higher value for money, reduced disruption to residents, and lower carbon emissions. The guidance is available online, at: https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/improving-highways-maintenance-productivity.
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 defined quantitative benchmarks for determining whether private sector delivery of public electric vehicle chargepoints is sufficient to meet the 2030 target.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
An estimate of potential future demand for charge points was originally published in the 2022 “Taking Charge: The National Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy” and ranged from 280,000 to 720,000 in 2030. This analysis was updated in 2024 to a range of 250,000 to 550,000 in 2030.
The Department has not defined quantitative benchmarks for the private sector, though we closely monitor electric vehicle charger rollout and publish public charger statistics monthly. Statistics include publicly and privately funded public chargers. We support uptake through targeted grants and funding and regularly engage with local authorities and the private sector on progress. The Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund requires local authorities to complete quarterly reporting of charger delivery.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, a) What estimate her Department has made of i) the average retail price of vehicles eligible for the £3,750 Electric Car Grant, and ii) the proportion of new electric vehicles currently on sale that qualify for the full grant; b) what assessment she has made of regional variation in EV uptake rates since July 2024, and c) what estimate she has made of the average household income of grant recipients.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Preliminary data on vehicles ordered and delivered to customers since grant launch show that the median purchase price of a vehicle eligible for the £3,750 Electric Car Grant (ECG) banding before the grant is applied is £24,009.88.
Based on registration data for December 2025, 5% of new electric vehicles registered in that month received £3,750 through the ECG.
The Government is committed to continued EV uptake across the UK and is working closely with devolved and local governments to achieve this. Data on licenced ultra-low emission vehicles across regions since July 2024 is at this link:
Household income is not assessed or recorded as part of grant eligibility for end customers.