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 18 March 2026 to Question 120628, whether any Government department or agency holds documents released to the media in March 2025 in relation to the employment tribunal involving the Drax whistleblower.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Cabinet Office does not hold any documents released to the media in March 2025 in relation to the employment tribunal involving the Drax whistleblower. As this matter related to an employment tribunal at a private company, it is not a matter in which the Department was involved.
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 potential impact of contrails on its Airspace Modernisation Strategy.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Airspace Modernisation Strategy supports the aviation sector in reducing emissions through aircraft flying more direct routes.
Contrails arise from a combination of jet fuel combustion, air particles, water vapour and atmospheric conditions, and as such are considered through the Department’s work with the sector via the Jet Zero Strategy and Taskforce, which look at aviation decarbonisation holistically.
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 25 March 2026 to Question 122594, what her Department’s estimate is for the date by which trains for those services will be (i) modified and (ii) fully tested.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Chiltern subleases the trains that will be used on East West Rail from West Midlands Trains. The operators continue to work jointly with the train owner and the industry supply chain on the schedule for the final modifications which are expected to be delivered and tested in the coming months.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost will be of the Zero Emission Truck and Van funding package over its lifetime, including associated grant schemes.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The cost of this package is set out at: www.gov.uk/government/news/1-billion-to-cut-costs-for-businesses-drive-growth-and-clean-up-uk-roads
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, which companies the Department is aware are exporting dual-use components from the United Kingdom to the Russian Federation; what dual-use components are being exported to the Russian Federation; and what representations have been received from (a) Ukraine and (b) NATO member states to HM Government on those exports.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The comprehensive sanctions put in place by HMG under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 following Russia's illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine mean that UK companies have been banned from exporting military or dual-use goods to Russia since February 2022. Any companies doing so would be subject to criminal penalties unless the goods are expressly exempted under Part 7 of the Regulations. Any representations from the Government of Ukraine, or NATO allies are the province of the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving examiners started to practice in each month from July 2024 to the latest month for which figures are available.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows the number of recruited driving examiners (DE) who successfully completed training and were posted to a driving test centre, each month from July 2024 to February 2026.
Please note, the data shows the month DEs successfully passed training and does not necessarily represent when they first conducted a test as a DE. For example, a trainee DE might have passed training on the last day of any given month, but would not have conducted their first test until the following month.
Month | New DEs who have successfully completed training and moved into driving test centre. |
Jul-24 | 10 |
Aug-24 | 12 |
Sep-24 | 19 |
Oct-24 | 7 |
Nov-24 | 10 |
Dec-24 | 6 |
Jan-25 | 16 |
Feb-25 | 36 |
Mar-25 | 23 |
Apr-25 | 17 |
May-25 | 14 |
Jun-25 | 30 |
Jul-25 | 26 |
Aug-25 | 17 |
Sep-25 | 48 |
Oct-25 | 25 |
Nov-25 | 56 |
Dec-25 | 19 |
Jan-26 | 25 |
Feb-26 | 27 |
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, how many times the Aerospace Growth Partnership has met since 4 July 2024; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential economic merits of the Aerospace Growth Partnership .
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Since 4 July 2024 the Aerospace Growth Partnership Board has met 12 times. Through our Industrial Strategy, government has committed to supporting the sector to increase its share of the global market from 10% to 15% and secure at least £35billion of additional private investment to industrialise technologies by 2050. The Aerospace Growth Partnership is a unique forum that helps bring together all parts of the UK's aerospace ecosystem with a common goal of delivering growth in the UK.
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, when he plans to respond to Question 117002 from the Rt Hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 March 2026 to Question 117002.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the written ministerial statement of 23 March 2026 on Rail Infrastructure, HCWS1433, when she next plans to publish an update on the progress of the HS2 reset.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date (a) Mark Wild’s contract as Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd was signed, (b) his appointment was publicly announced and (c) he took up his role.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.