Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has conducted an analysis of the impact of Chinese-manufactured vehicles on the UK automotive sector.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that imports of Chinese-manufactured vehicles are increasing and continues to monitor the situation closely. We continue to work with UK automotive manufacturers to understand the implications of China's policies and practices on UK industry interests.
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, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of how the National Planning Policy Framework addresses the cumulative and wider effects on (a) education, (b) primary healthcare, (c) transport, (d) parking, (e) drainage and (f) other local infrastructure arising from development assessed on a site-by-site basis; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of clearer national guidance on the aggregation of impacts for cases such as the Astley warehouse development that extend beyond individual planning applications.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the Rt. Hon. Member to policies DM4, P3, P4 and E3 of the new National Planning Policy Framework published on 17 August.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what changes National Highways have made to their initial plans for diversionary routes following local consultation regarding the Lune Gorge Bridge replacement works and impact on Junction 38 since the start of the year.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
National Highways is currently developing options on the approach to the essential renewals required on the seven bridges of the M6 in Lune Gorge.
The intention is to consult on the final options early in February 2027. This will provide the community, businesses, road users and wider stakeholders with the opportunity to give their views on how the work should be carried out, including proposed diversion routes.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support the deepest possible knowledge of the Holocaust in the education system; and how her Department supports educational visits for schools to the death camps.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Holocaust is the only historic event which is compulsory within the current national curriculum for history at key stage 3. The government has made a commitment that the Holocaust will remain a compulsory topic in the reformed national curriculum, which will also be required teaching in academy schools when it is implemented.
Additionally, the government funds programmes to support Holocaust teaching which provide high-quality, rigorous education about the Holocaust. This includes the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz project, which gives pupils aged 16 to 18 the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The department funds teachers’ professional development in this subject through University College London’s Centre for Holocaust Education. The Supporting Holocaust Survivor Testimony in Teaching programme also supports schools in using recorded Holocaust survivor testimony in their teaching.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of whether the impact assessment accompanying the Department of Health and Social Care's consultation on the 2018 Nutrient Profiling Model complies with the Better Regulation Framework.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The consultation stage impact assessment contains the key evidence and analysis expected as part of the Better Regulation Framework (BRF). As required by the BRF, the department also submitted an earlier options assessment to the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) for independent scrutiny. The RPC’s scrutiny of the options assessment was published on 30th March 2026.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support participation in gliding.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government recognises the role that gliding plays within the UK's general aviation sector, offering many unique opportunities and experiences for young people, supporting their development and helping to provide pathways to exciting new careers.
The Government supports opportunities for young people to enter aviation through the Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund, which has provided over £4 million for outreach, skills and careers programmes across the aviation sector.
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 6 July 2026 to Question 15005 on Large Goods Vehicles: Electric Vehicles, whether her Department plans to update its cost of ownership modelling for HGVs in the context of changes to zero-emission vehicle policies in the (a) European Union and (b) United States since the publication of the external analyses cited.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The assumptions underpinning the total cost of ownership analysis for zero emission heavy goods vehicles are kept under continuous review as evidence emerges. This includes consideration of developments in international markets where relevant. Further details will be published alongside the next consultation on the HGV CO2 emissions regulatory framework.
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, further to the No10 press release, Cheaper travel for millions with a third off fares, of 22 July 2026, which international climate finance projects will have their funding converted into loans to fund the £454 million; whether the borrowing will core on the PSBR; and over what period the loans will be paid back.
Answered by Katie White - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is switching £400 million of grant funding set aside for future international climate finance projects into loans, providing more flexible ways to meet our international climate objectives.
This will support Government’s intention to invest £400m of loan finance into the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, a new global forests fund which aims to preserve tropical forests, support forest communities and protect critical global ecosystems. Funds that flow from the TFFF to forest countries will not have to be repaid.
As we are investing in the form of a repayable loan, it is not funded through additional borrowing. The terms of this loan is subject to the Funds finalisation, completions of our due diligence checks and our conditions being met, in line with normal value for money and Official Development Assistance requirements.
We are continuing to engage with HMT on savings.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much Greater Manchester Combined Authority has received in relation to the Electric Vehicle Pavement Channels Grant in the last three years.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Electric Vehicle Pavement Channels Grant was open for one financial year, 2025-2026.
Information on funding allocations for the Electric Vehicle Pavement Channel Grant is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electric-vehicle-ev-pavement-channels-grant-local-authority-allocations/electric-vehicle-ev-pavement-channels-grant-funding-amounts
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she will publish updated estimates of the impact of the SAF Mandate on average air fares, including the potential costs of buyout payments arising from insufficient fuel supply in (a) 2027, (b) 2028 and (c) 2030.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport plans to publish an annual Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate statistics report following each reporting year. These reports will include information on compliance with the SAF Mandate, including the use of buy-out payments where applicable.
Projections of future buyout payments under the SAF Mandate, and associated impacts on air fares, are dependent on future market developments and form part of ongoing policy development and analysis. As such, the Department is not currently providing projections for specific future years.