Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 82402 on Airports: Business Rates, what the rateable value is of each airport that may be uprated; what the proposed revaluation from the Valuation Office Agency is for each airport; and which airports the Valuation Office Agency is receiving ongoing representations relating to.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Due to legislation protecting taxpayer confidentiality, the VOA is unable to disclose information about individual ratepayers or properties; this also includes proposed rateable values.
The VOA are currently working on a revaluation of all non-domestic properties. This will come into effect on 1 April 2026, with draft valuations published by the end of this year.
The VOA have been engaging with representatives from the airports industry, including all civil airports in England and Wales, and held discussions with Airports UK.
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 24 October 2025 to Question 82408 on Railways: Public Ownership, what the targets are for (a) punctuality, (b) reliability, (c) service quality and (d) customer satisfaction for GA Trains Limited; and when her Department plans to (i) first and (ii) subsequently publish performance updates.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
GA Trains Limited took over ownership of operations on the Greater Anglia route on 12 October 2025 and is now in its transitional phase to embed the new Services Agreement requirements. During this transitional phase GA Trains Limited will continue to publish information on performance against targets for punctuality, reliability, service quality and customer satisfaction that were used prior to the transfer before moving to the revised targets required under the Services Agreement. Performance will be reported and published in a periodic and moving annual average basis.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October to Question 78690 on Automatic Number Plate Recognition, whether his Department plans to change rules on the use of automatic number plate recognition in municipal car parks.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), or indeed any surveillance technology, as the sole means of enforcement of parking contraventions by local authorities was restricted by the Deregulation Act 2015.
The government has received advice from the Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London Committee (PATROL), along with the British Parking Association and the Local Government Association, which calls for the granting of ANPR powers to local councils for civil parking enforcement.
The Government has no plans to amend these restrictions as the current ruling ensures non-compliant motorists are made aware that they are contravening parking restrictions at the time of the contravention.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the full scheme costs for all Strategic Road Network projects will be published in the final Road Investment Strategy 3 document.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) will be published in March 2026 and will include a total funding line for all enhancements to the strategic road network to be delivered during the period 2026-2031.
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 17 October 2025 to Question 77643 on London Underground: Strikes, on what date that meeting took place.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The meeting took place on 11 September 2025.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officers are currently assigned to the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service; what that Service’s annual budget is for the 2025-26 financial year; and what discussions she has had with that Service on the adequacy of its capacity to tackle organised HGV and freight thefts.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
We fully recognise the serious and growing threat that freight crime poses to businesses, drivers, and the wider economy. This Government is determined to crack down on it.
The Government does not fund the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS). NaVCIS is funded by industry, including finance and leasing companies, insurers and hauliers, to provide dedicated specialist intelligence and enforcement.
My officials have regular discussions with key partners, including Opal, the police’s national intelligence unit focused on serious organised acquisitive crime, and NaVCIS about tackling organised freight crime.
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 20 October 2025 to Question 78714 on Railways: Tickets, whether her Department has undertaken research on reasons for participation levels in the Digital Pay As You Go trials in (a) Yorkshire and (b) the East Midlands; and what steps she is taking to increase take-up.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is monitoring participation rates as trials go live, and the evaluation of the trial will consider participation amongst users over time.
To increase take-up, there will be further press activity for the launch of the third trial, in addition to significant ongoing marketing activity.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria are used for Ministers to fly on RAF Envoy for domestic flights.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Defence Ministers working within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) are counted alongside entitled military personnel for Envoy use, thereafter the Secretary of State for Defence authorises Senior Ministers occasional use of the RAF CSAT aircraft, in fulfilment of their duties, when those aircraft are not committed to MOD tasks.
User priority decisions are made in coordination with Air Command and the MOD Defence Single Tasking Authority as required.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people were employed in the automotive manufacturing sector on (a) 4 July 2024 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 27th October is attached.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether future revenues generated from Sustainable Aviation Fuel mandate buy-out penalties will be spent on aviation sector decarbonisation.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The SAF mandate, which started in January this year, includes ambitious but deliverable targets to supply sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Suppliers are expected to meet targets in the SAF mandate without the need to buyout. The buyout is not a revenue raising measure, and the buyout price is set at a level to ensure that unsustainable costs are not passed on to passengers.
The SAF mandate generates demand, but we are also supporting SAF supply. Including through the Advanced Fuels Fund, which for the current year has allocated £63 million, and the creation of a UK SAF Clearing House to provide advice and support to SAF producers navigating the fuel testing landscape. This is helping to remove barriers to new fuels coming to market. The Government has also introduced legislation for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism to increase investor confidence and unlock investment in UK SAF production.
In addition to our considerable commitments on SAF, we are supporting the sector to transition to greener aviation through a range of measures, including delivering the airspace modernisation programme, which will see cleaner, quicker and quieter journeys, and major funding for new technologies through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI).