Blake Stephenson MP: written questions 2025
1235 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Medical Records: GenomicsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79830More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of being able to view the risk of major conditions on people with poor mental health.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan includes a commitment to begin implementing integrated risk scores that bring together polygenic risk scores (PRS) and other non-biological risk factors. NHS England, in partnership with Our Future Health and clinical experts, will...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMedical Records: GenomicsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79829More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 73 of his Department's 10 Year Health Plan, published on 3 July 2025, whether patients will be able to opt out of viewing their risk of major conditions.
Answer: The National Health Service’s 10-Year Health Plan included a commitment that the NHS will develop a Unified Genomic Record, integrating genomic data with relevant clinical and diagnostic data. This will be linked to the NHS Single Patient Record. Patients...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic HealthDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79828More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 10-Year Health Plan, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government about the role of placemaking in improving public h
Answer: Ministers from the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government meet periodically to discuss shared priorities and links to health.The Government’s initial response to the report of the independent New...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDiagnosis: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79827More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 10-Year Health Plan, what assessment he has made of public trust in AI for use in AI diagnosis tools.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan and the Life Sciences Sector Plan commit the Government to making the National Health Service become the healthcare system in the world most ready for artificial intelligence (AI). The Department is testing AI in areas that cause t...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGenomics: Data ProtectionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79826More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the 10-Year Health Plan, what safeguards will be put in place to prevent hostile actors from accessing genomic data held by the NHS.
Answer: All organisations that have access to National Health Service patient data and systems must use the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) to provide assurance on an annual basis that they are practising good data security and that personal informati...
Answered 6 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNeighbourhood Health CentresDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79825More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 36 of the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, published on 3 July 2025, how the cost of operating Neighbourhood Health Centres will be shared amongst (a) local government, (b) the volun
Answer: As set out on page 36 of the 10-Year Health Plan, neighbourhood health centres will provide easier, more convenient access to a full range of health and care services on people’s doorsteps, joining up National Health Service, local authority, and voluntar...
Answered 14 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordNeighbourhood Health CentresDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79824More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 15 of the policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for
Answer: Our aim is to have a Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that provides easier, more convenient access to a full range of health and care services on people’s doorsteps, bringing together National Health Service, local authority, and voluntary se...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79823More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 36 of the policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, what his definition is of community, in this context.
Answer: The Government is committed to delivering a Neighbourhood Health Service that brings care closer to communities, ensuring that care happens as locally as it can, digitally by default, in a person’s home if possible, in a neighbourhood health centre when n...
Answered 27 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79822More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of restoring the
Answer: The Government is committed to bringing back the family doctor for patients who would likely benefit from seeing the same clinician regularly. In doing so, we will improve continuity of care, which is associated with better health outcomes and fewer Accid...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: BedfordshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79821More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of GPs per head of population in Bedfordshire by 2035, in the context of the 10 Year Health Plan.
Answer: Each general practice (GP) is required to provide services to meet the reasonable needs of their patients. There is no NHS England recommendation for how many patients a GP should have assigned, or the ratio of GPs or other practice staff to patients. The...
Answered 29 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordMental Health ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79820More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing ongoing access to therapy for people with complex mental health needs.
Answer: We recognise the importance of providing ongoing access to therapy for people with complex mental health needs. The 10-Year Health Plan sets out our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service and the three big shifts needed in the system – analogue to digi...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral PractitionersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79819More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how new GP surgeries will be set up under his 10 Year Health Plan.
Answer: Our aim of establishing a Neighbourhood Health Centre (NHC) in every community, open at least 12 hours a day and 6 days a week, and with services that are fully data and digitally enabled, will revitalise access to general practice.To establish NHCs, we w...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: StaffDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79818More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost of non-healthcare professionals in his plans for the NHS; and how this compares to the current figure.
Answer: No specific assessment has been made of the future cost of non-healthcare professionals. The NHS England 2025/26 Priorities and Operational Planning Guidance though states that integrated care boards and providers should review their workforce and spendin...
Answered 22 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79817More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will set out how the role of multi-neighbourhood providers will differ from that of ICBs, in the context of the 10 Year Health Plan.
Answer: Integrated care boards (ICBs) will act primarily as strategic commissioners of services to their local populations and will not be providing services directly to the public. They will be working to ensure the best possible care is delivered through commis...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordDental ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79816More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to allow patients to access NHS dental care through the NHS App.
Answer: The Government currently has no plans to enable patients to access NHS dental care through the NHS App. However, NHS England routinely seeks opportunities to expand the functionality of the NHS App, and progress on including dental bookings in the functio...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral PractitionersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79815More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of new neighbour
Answer: The ambition for our Neighbourhood Health Service is to rebalance our health and care system so that it fits around people’s lives, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach and giving people more power and choice over the care that they receive.Neigh...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Professions: RecruitmentDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79814More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of housing costs on the recruitment of health staff, in the context of his plans for a Neighbourhood Health Service.
Answer: We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the specific needs of local populations. While we will be clear on the outcomes we expect, we will give significant licence to tailor the approach to local need. While the fo...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Professions: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79813More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the reasons for the difficulties in the recruitment of health staff in rural areas, in the context of his plans for a Neighbourhood Health Service.
Answer: We have found that people tend to settle and practice in areas where they train, as identified on page 209 of the Chief Medical Officer’s Annual Report 2021 – Health in Coastal Communities, which is available at the following link:https://assets.publishin...
Answered 17 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Digital TechnologyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79812More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology to help ensure that rural communities with poor (a) broadband and (b) mobile signal can access digital
Answer: Digital health should be seen as part of a multi-channel offering that meets the needs and preferences of users. Digital services must be designed to alleviate healthcare inequalities rather than exacerbate them. Our goal is to ensure that reducing health...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordSurgery: NegligenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79811More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, how clinical negligence cases involving mistakes by surgical robots will b
Answer: NHS Resolution (NHSR) manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England.The bulk of NHSR’s workload is handling negligence claims on behalf of the members of their indemnity schemes. One of the indemnity schemes i...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordWearable TechnologyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79810More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 15 of the policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, whether support to purchase wearables will be provided to patie
Answer: As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will ensure fair and equitable access by making wearables available for patients that need them.We are exploring how wearable technology can best support prevention, early intervention, and the management of long-...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironmental Delivery PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79809More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2025 to Question 44048 on Environmental Delivery Plans, whether measures that require permanent maintenance will be funded from the initial lev
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 44048 on 24 April 2025.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: GermanyDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79808More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding she plans to allocate to direct rail links between the UK and Germany; and what proportion of that will be allocated in the UK.
Answer: The Government fully supports the growth of international rail passenger services, including potential new direct connections, and recognises the socio-economic benefits that these provide for UK citizens and businesses. The Government signed a joint decl...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordShared Rural NetworkDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79807More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the reported 95% coverage achieved by the Shared Rural Network will be reviewed using Ofcom’s forthcoming reporting methodology based on a 5 Mbps threshold.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, to the answer of 25 July 2025 to Question 68570: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordShared Rural NetworkDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79806More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to ensure mobile network operators cannot invoke the all reasonable efforts clause to avoid penalties under the Shared Rural Network agreement in rem
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted, to the answer of 25 July 2025 to Question 68571: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
Published records only — not a full account of an MP’s work. How we work →