Blake Stephenson MP: written questions
665 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Health 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 recordShared Rural Network: AerialsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79805More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the decision to reduce the number of planned masts under the Shared Rural Network programme on (a) rural mobile covera
Answer: The first part of the Shared Rural Network (SRN), which targeted areas of the UK that have 4G coverage from at least one, but not all, mobile network operators was completed last year and covered a greater area of UK landmass than originally expected, put...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCouncil TaxMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79804More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to disapply the cap on council tax rises for 2026-27 as part of the fair funding review.
Answer: The Spending Review confirmed the government intends to maintain the referendum threshold at 3%, with 2% for the adult social care precept. This is in line with the threshold set up by the previous government. Final referendum principles will be confirmed...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: InfrastructureMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79803More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the amount of Section 106 funding returned to developers in each of the last five years; and what the most common infrastructure needs that funding
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 54059 on 6 June 2025.
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: Greater LondonMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79802More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61251 on Affordable Housing: Greater London, what level of affordable housing delivery in London he is targeting; and what prog
Answer: The GLA’s target range for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme in London is 17,800-19,000.The GLA last published their affordable housing statistics in August 2025. From the beginning of the programme to June 2025, there have been 5,500 starts, and 997...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNeighbourhood PolicingHome OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79801More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a list of the named, contactable police officer in every neighbourhood in England and Wales.
Answer: The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee is ensuring a more consistent standard of neighbourhood policing across England and Wales. This includes every neighbourhood in England and Wales now having named and contactable officers.Details of all named, contacta...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCare Workers: Migrant WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79800More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 August 2025 to Question 62005 on Care Workers: Migrant Workers, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of collecting that information.
Answer: Home Office immigration statistics show the numbers of Health and Care Worker visas granted under this category for the ‘Caring Personal Services’ occupation group (613), which broadly covers occupations across social care, over time, and for the specific...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Workers: DeportationHome OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79799More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigrants found to have been working illegally have been deported since 4 July 2024.
Answer: As set out in legislation, an individual is liable to removal from the UK if "the person requires leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom but does not have it". The Home Office does not routinely categorise immigration offenders by the ma...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordUndocumented WorkersHome OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79798More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigrants have been found to be working illegally since 4 July 2024.
Answer: The relevant statistical figures can be accessed via the official government website at the following link:Illegal working activity between 5 July 2024 and 28 June 2025 - GOV.UKThe government takes illegal working very seriously, and we are determined to ...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigrationHome OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79797More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of migrants who have arrived illegally in the UK since 4 August 2025.
Answer: By its very nature, it is not possible to know the exact number of people who arrive to the UK illegally, and so we do not seek to make any official estimates of this. In June 2019, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a note on ‘measuring i...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordAsylum: English LanguageHome OfficeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79796More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of visa holders who were granted a visa who did not have basic proficiency in English on entry in each of the last five years.
Answer: No such estimate has been made of the number of visa holders who did not have basic proficiency in English on entry.
Answered 30 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordCare Workers: Migrant WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79795More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of workers working in the social care sector who are in the UK on a social care worker visa.
Answer: Home Office immigration statistics show the numbers of Health and Care Worker visas granted under this category for the ‘Caring Personal Services’ occupation group (613), which broadly covers occupations across social care, over time, and for the specific...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordPost Offices: Central BedfordshireDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79794More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a Post Office branch in Flitwick.
Answer: The Government does not intervene in decisions regarding the location of Post Office branches, as this remains an operational matter for Post Office Limited. However, the Government-set Access Criteria ensure that, regardless of changes to the network, po...
Answered 15 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordInnovationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79793More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the press release entitled UK launches global talent drive to attract world-leading researchers and innovators, published on 22 June 2025, if he will publish his Department’s impact a
Answer: The Global Talent Taskforce (GTT) is a delivery-focused unit actively developing a pipeline of highly talented individuals who are considering laying down roots and investing in the UK. It provides tailored account management to support these individuals ...
Answered 20 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordStellantis: LutonDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79792More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to page 27 of the Agenda Report entitled The formation of the Vauxhall Luton Taskforce of the Agenda for the Luton Borough Council Executive meeting on 23 June 2025, whether the Governme
Answer: Despite extensive engagement from Ministers, Stellantis regrettably decided to close its Luton plant, with production ending in May 2025. While we do not have a formal assessment of the cost of the plant closure for the Bedfordshire economy, the Governmen...
Answered 21 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Glass Fiber UKDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 10 Oct 2025AnsweredUIN 79791More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department considered intervening in the closure of Electric Glass Fiber UK, in the context of previous interventions in British Steel.
Answer: The closure of Electric Glass Fiber UK in June 2025 and the loss of 250 jobs was a great disappointment. In the lead up to the final decision to close, HMG was significantly involved at ministerial and official level to broker a deal between EGF UK’s pare...
Answered 16 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76416More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if her Department will publish a list of (a) new settlements and (b) urban extensions planned to contain more than 5,000 homes which have been commenced since 2000; and if her De
Answer: The information requested is not held centrally.
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATDepartment for EducationTabled 9 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76110More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of changes to the VAT status of independent schools on the number of children enrolled in state schools in September 2025.
Answer: HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note on applying VAT to independent school fees, which includes the government’s estimates of the number of pupils expected to enter the state sector as a result of this policy. This is available here: ht...
Answered 2 Oct 2025
Original Parliament record
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