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 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.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to the Council of Europe regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to work closely with the Council of Europe on a number of Ukraine-related initiatives, including the proposed establishment of the Claims Commission for Ukraine and the Special Tribunal on Crimes of Aggression Against Ukraine. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UK has consistently raised Russia's aggression and its consequences within the Council of Europe, including at the Committee of Ministers and through engagement with the Secretary General.
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 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, 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 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 Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2026 to Question 120035 on Intellectual Property Office; Environmental Protection, what the (a) capital cost and (b) estimated annual energy savings are of (i) the installation of new energy efficient boilers in the Intellectual Property Office warehouse facility and (ii) the replacement of air conditioning units with more efficient units.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Both the gas boilers at the Intellectual Property Office warehouse facility and the air‑conditioning units had reached the end of their operational life and required replacement. They have been replaced with more energy‑efficient systems to improve performance and reduce energy consumption. Further detail on capital costs and estimated energy savings is commercially sensitive and cannot be provided.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps HM Government is taking to prepare for the G20 Summit in 2027.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Work is progressing in the normal way and further details will be confirmed in due course.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans her Department has to hold (a) discussions and (b) summits with the Government of South Africa on providing it with (i) aid and (ii) development.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ministers and officials in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continue to work closely with their South African counterparts on a wide range of issues.