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 his Department's press release entitled New DHSC Permanent Secretary Appointed, published on 22 April 2025, whether the new Permanent Secretary was appointed by (a) open and fair competition, (b) temporary appointment and (c) exception.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Samantha Jones has been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary for the Department of Health and Social Care following an open and fair competition, overseen by the First Civil Service Commissioner. Samantha Jones will be taking up the role on a fixed term appointment, and this appointment is not an exception.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Question 47817 on Ministry of Justice: Equality, if she will publish all documentation associated with the training on creating inclusive virtual teams.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Training materials associated with the Ministry of Justice’s course Creating Inclusive Virtual Teams are subject to copyright and confidentiality considerations.
The documentation includes proprietary material provided by third-party training providers under licence and therefore cannot be published in full.
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, what steps he is taking to support dementia-friendly adaptations in pubs and hospitality venues.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We want people with dementia to live well and remain independent for as long as possible in their communities.
Through the Dementia Friendly Communities programme, we are making society more inclusive, with communities and organisations committing to support people to continue to do the things they want to do, including going to the pub or attending hospitality venues, for as long as possible.
For example, we continue to support initiatives, such as the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Support initiative, which link people, their families, and carers with local support services.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how are aggregate disproportionate cost thresholds reviewed for (a) written Parliamentary Questions and (b) Freedom of Information Act requests; how often do these reviews take place; and on what dates have changes been made since 2000.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Guide to Parliamentary Work, which is published online and available here, sets out that there is an advisory cost limit known as the disproportionate cost threshold which is the level above which departments can decide not to answer a written question. The current disproportionate cost threshold is £850; the limit does not apply to oral questions.
The threshold is pegged at 140% of the Freedom of Information Act cost limit, currently £600, to the nearest £50. Where a change in the FOI cost limit occurs, the Cabinet Office will make a written statement to advise Parliament of the new disproportionate cost threshold.
Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 allows public authorities to refuse to deal with any requests where they estimate that responding to the request would exceed the “appropriate limit”, known as the “cost limit”.
If a public authority calculates that responding to a request will take it over the appropriate limit it is not obliged to provide a substantive response. The cost limit is calculated at a flat rate of £25 per hour and since 2004 has been set at £600 for central government departments and £450 for other public authorities.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many instances there have been of foreign-owned companies using shell companies to bypass the National Security and Investment Act 2021 since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Under the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act, the Government identifies and takes action in investments and other acquisitions of control in the UK economy that could harm our national security. Our powers apply to all types of acquirer.
Acquisitions in the most sensitive parts of our economy are subject to mandatory notification regardless of the type of acquirer. The Government also monitors the market at all times to identify acquisitions of potential national security interest.
The Government will conduct due diligence on acquisitions under review. This is backed up by statutory information gathering powers and the ability to impose civil or criminal penalties for noncompliance.
Further guidance on the NSI Act and how it applies to different types of acquisition is available on GOV.UK.
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 his Department engages with Client Earth.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office engages with a range of non-governmental organisations on environmental issues, including ClientEarth. For example, in February we hosted ClientEarth and other conservation organisations for a roundtable discussion as part of our consultation on the UK's approach to Africa.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for School Standards of 28 April 2025, Official Report, column 7, if she will make an estimate of the proportionate pay rise that could be provided to teachers with the additional £400 million of funding.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
On 18 March, the department published the Schools’ Costs Technical Note, which forecast the headroom in schools’ budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, and set out what pay rise, for both teachers and support staff, would be affordable on that basis.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 45907 on Department for Education: Official Hospitality, if she will make an assessment of the value for money of the event.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This event was held to enable my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education to outline the new government’s priorities for education and social care to a wide range of partners and stakeholders, building the relationships needed for new Ministers to work closely and effectively with them, so as to support delivery of the government’s Mission to break the link between a child’s background and their future success.
Rather than outsourcing the event, it was delivered in-house by civil servants and used existing departmental suppliers to deliver audio visual services and modest catering options. In line with similar events held under previous governments, it was delivered to the lowest possible cost.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 44587 on Parliamentary Estates: Artworks, what the (a) nature, (b) title and (c) artist is of each item that was (i) installed and (ii) removed since (A) dissolution of the previous Parliament and (B) 4 July 2024.
Answered by Nick Smith
The attached data provides detail of individual artworks falling under the following categories:
iA) artworks installed between dissolution and 4 July 2024 (40 artworks)
iiA) artworks removed between dissolution and 4 July 2024 (80 artworks)
iB) artworks installed since 4 July 2024 (185 artworks)
iiB) artworks removed since 4 July 2024 (375 artworks)
In collating this data, so far as possible we have included neither artworks which were temporarily removed to allow for maintenance works and have since been rehung in the same location, nor artworks which were briefly off display and then moved location with a Member’s office.