Blake Stephenson MP: written questions
665 published records · newest first.
Written questions
ImmigrationHome OfficeTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14563More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to adopt recommendation 1 of the report Backdoors to Britain, published by the honourable Member for Mid Bedfordshire on 4 March 2026.
Answer: The Government keeps the sponsorship system under review.
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRenewable Energy: LandfillDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14562More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment has been made of the relative cost to the public purse of (a) providing transitional support for landfill gas generation and (b) responsible parties bearing the unsupported co
Answer: The Landfill Directive (1999/31/EC) requires landfill operators to manage gas emissions to minimise risks to human health and the environment, including through flaring or, to the extent possible, by generating electricity from captured methane. The Renew...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordAviation: FuelsDepartment for TransportTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14561More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase the supply of (a) sustainable aviation fuel and( b) domestic aviation fuel production.
Answer: The Low Carbon Fuels Fund (LCFF) will support UK sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply by funding first-of-a-kind SAF production plants through the project pipeline to aid their commercialisation. Up to £219m has been made available through to 2029/30, w...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRenewable Energy: LandfillDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14560More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his planned timetable is for taking a decision on transitional arrangements for landfill gas operation before the closure of the Renewables Obligation in April 2027.
Answer: Government is aware that the commercial viability of some landfill gas sites may be affected when the Renewables Obligation begins to expire from 2027. DESNZ will shortly consult on proposals and an anticipated delivery timetable for a possible transition...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordBritish International InvestmentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14051More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she has taken to ensure British International Investment’s use of taxpayer funds is consistent with value for money and the Government’s policy of encouraging wide
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 June in response to Questions 7227 and 7922.
Answered 7 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordLocal Government FinanceTreasuryTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14050More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her policies for fiscal devolution in relation to income tax on trends in the level of funding for local authorities.
Answer: At her Mais Lecture, the Chancellor committed to work with mayors, businesses and other stakeholders to develop a fiscal devolution roadmap, to be published at the Budget, setting out plans to give regional leaders control over the allocation of a share o...
Answered 8 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordEast West Rail Line: Railway StationsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14049More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether new stations on the Marston Vale Line will be built prior to services between Oxford and Bedford beginning.
Answer: Proposed timelines for the delivery of services and stations for East West Rail were set out in the Spring Consultation on the project which ran from April-June 2026. This includes four new stations on the Marston Vale Line and services from Oxford-Stewar...
Answered 7 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14048More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he intends to publish the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answer: Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. The consultation can be found here. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
Answered 2 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRailway Stations: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14047More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy not to include train stations which do not have step free access in his planning policies on development around train stations.
Answer: Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, set out a number of proposals to support development in sustainable locations, i...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordNew TownsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14046More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for what reason a) Stotfold Garden Village, b) Tempsford and c) Milton Keynes scored differently for Objective 2 of the New Towns Programme methodology.
Answer: Building on the work of the independent New Towns Taskforce, my Department carried out its own assessment of potential locations for new towns. The full methodology and outcome of this assessment can be found at Annex C of the New Town Draft Programme whi...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordRecreation Spaces: Parking and Railway StationsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14045More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of its proposals on density around train stations on the provision of a) station parking and b) green space.
Answer: Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, set out a number of proposals to support development in sustainable locations, i...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordDeveloping Countries: Overseas InvestmentForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14044More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she has taken to help ensure British International Investment’s use of taxpayer funds is consistent with value for money and the Government’s policy of encouraging
Answer: I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 17 June in response to Questions 7227 and 7922.
Answered 7 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordPrimary Education: School LibrariesDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 29 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 14043More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the answer to of 22 October 2025 to Written Question 101953 on Primary Education: School Libraries, published on 12 January 2026, how her Department will allocate funding for th
Answer: Every Child Can will invest £132.5 million of dormant assets funding to increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities exclusively across five key categories of enrichment: civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoor and ...
Answered 7 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented Housing: TenantsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13654More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the average tenure of social housing tenants in England.
Answer: The English Housing Survey (EHS), which can be found on gov.uk here, collects and publishes data on tenure trends.In 2023-24 (the most recent data currently available), the average weekly income of social renters (household reference person and partner) w...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Rented Housing: TenantsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13653More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the average income of social housing tenants in England.
Answer: The English Housing Survey (EHS), which can be found on gov.uk here, collects and publishes data on tenure trends.In 2023-24 (the most recent data currently available), the average weekly income of social renters (household reference person and partner) w...
Answered 20 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordImmigration: English LanguageHome OfficeTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13652More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department has received any correspondence from a) Global Counsel or b) Peter Mandelson in relation to English language testing in the UK immigration system since 4 July 2024.
Answer: The Home Office has not received any correspondence from a) Global Counsel or b) Peter Mandelson in relation to English language testing in the UK immigration system since 4 July 2024.
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: Postal ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13651More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made any estimate of the proportion of missed appointments which have resulted from delays in receiving posted letters.
Answer: The monitoring of National Health Service patient correspondence, including appointment letters, is the responsibility of individual NHS providers. Data is not held centrally on the reasons why an appointment is registered as a ‘did not attend’. This incl...
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13650More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the reduction in waiting lists since July 2024 has been as a result of patients receiving treatment.
Answer: The Department publishes data on Referral to Treatment waiting times. The majority of patients in this data set are considered as having received 'treatment'. A proportion of the removals from the waiting list which appear in this data set as unreported r...
Answered 17 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordFood Supply: Unmanned Air SystemsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13649More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration she has given to the potential impact of the regulatory environment for agricultural drone technology on British food security.
Answer: The Government recognises the potential of agricultural drone technology to support more efficient, sustainable and productive farming practices, which can in turn contribute to food security in the UK. Defra works closely with relevant regulators, includ...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordFood Supply: Unmanned Air SystemsDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13648More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration she has given to the potential impact of payloads regulations for drone technology for British food security.
Answer: Drone payloads are subject to the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) regulation UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947, which covers payloads for agricultural use. This type of operation in the Specific category is subject to a risk assessment conducted by the applican...
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordFood Supply: Unmanned Air SystemsDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13647More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration she has given to the potential impact of chemical approvals for drone technology on British food security.
Answer: The Government recognises the potential of agricultural drone technology to support more efficient, sustainable and productive farming practices, which can in turn contribute to food security in the UK. Defra works closely with relevant regulators, includ...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordFood Supply: Unmanned Air SystemsDepartment for TransportTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13646More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration she has given to the impact of Beyond Visual Line of Sight restrictions on drone technology for British food security.
Answer: Drone payloads are subject to the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) regulation UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947, which covers payloads for agricultural use. This type of operation in the Specific category is subject to a risk assessment conducted by the applican...
Answered 6 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordSewersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 26 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 13645More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will make it her policy to bring Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 into force.
Answer: The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). We have consulted on a revised version of the National Planning Policy Framework, with new policies on local plans and national decision making, i...
Answered 2 Jul 2026
Original Parliament recordLGBT Financial Recognition Scheme: PublicityMinistry of DefenceTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12902More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to raise awareness of the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme outside of veterans networks.
Answer: The Government continues to take a proactive approach to ensure all those affected by the Ban are made aware of the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme, including those who may not be engaged with established veteran networks or digital communication channe...
Answered 29 Jun 2026
Original Parliament recordLegal Profession: USAHome OfficeTabled 24 Jun 2026AnsweredUIN 12901More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the decision to remove remote testing for the LSAT by the US Government.
Answer: The LSAT is an admissions test administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), an independent US organisation. Decisions relating to the format and delivery of the LSAT, including any changes to remote testing, are a matter for LSAC and the relev...
Answered 3 Jul 2026
Original Parliament record
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