Blake Stephenson MP: written questions
1633 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Electric 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 recordImmigration: ConvictionsHome OfficeTabled 9 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 76109More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain subsequent to having been convicted of an offence in the UK since 4 July 2024.
Answer: The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Answered 6 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: SoftwareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75761More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many languages the NHS app will be available in by 2035.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan recently committed to offering services in the NHS App in multiple languages to reach people who have difficulty with English where it is not their first language. Scoping has started to understand how to deliver this in a safe and...
Answered 24 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: FinanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75760More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 34 of his Department's policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, what the outcome will be if a patient needs to spe
Answer: Personal health budget holders should have regular contact with their local integrated care board (ICB) so that if their situation changes, including in relation to costs, their personalised care and support plan can be reviewed. A personal health budget ...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth ServicesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75759More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 34 of his Department's policy paper entitled 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future, published on 3 July 2025, what the outcome will be if a patient and care tea
Answer: Our 10-Year Health Plan will ensure that people with complex needs are supported to be active participants in their own care. As part of this, 95% of people with complex needs or long-term conditions will have an agreed personalised care plan by 2027. W...
Answered 19 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners and Neighbourhood Health CentresDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75758More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the maximum distance a patient should be from a (a) neighbourhood health centre and (b) GP surgery is under the 10 Year Health Plan.
Answer: There is no centrally stipulated limit on the distance a patient should be from a general practice surgery or a neighbourhood health centre (NHC). Integrated care boards are required to commission services that meet the reasonable needs of the population ...
Answered 19 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Trails UK: Icknield WayDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75757More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of granting National Trail status to the Icknield Way.
Answer: The Government remains committed to enhancing access to nature and will continue to work closely with Natural England, National Trails UK and relevant partners to understand and respond to the needs of our National Trails. We currently have no plans to cr...
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordOverseas Students: UniversitiesDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75756More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of student visa holders attending universities are in the (a) top and (b) bottom quartile of education standards.
Answer: The department does not hold data on the proportion of student visa holders attending English universities who are in the top and bottom quartile of education standards. This data is not reported to the department by universities.
Answered 18 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversities: Cost EffectivenessDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75755More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the value for money to students of each UK university.
Answer: The department recognises the vital role universities play in driving economic growth, producing world-leading research, and delivering value for money to students. Frameworks like the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and Knowledge Exchange Framework (...
Answered 22 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUniversities: Economic Growth and ResearchDepartment for EducationTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75754More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the value for money of the (a) economic growth contribution and (b) research output provided by each university.
Answer: The department recognises the vital role universities play in driving economic growth, producing world-leading research, and delivering value for money to students. Frameworks like the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and Knowledge Exchange Framework (...
Answered 22 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government Finance: Capital InvestmentMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75753More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to provide capital funding to local authorities on an annual basis.
Answer: The government has taken steps towards the simplification of capital local growth funding by consolidating the Levelling Up Fund, Town Deals and Simplification Pathfinders Pilot Fund into a single Local Regeneration Fund - providing greater flexibility an...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNew Town Development CorporationsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75752More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will require New Towns Development Corporations to produce a design code for new towns.
Answer: The government has been clear that the next generation of new towns must be well-connected, well-designed, sustainable, and attractive places where people want to live and have all the infrastructure, amenities, and services necessary to sustain thriving ...
Answered 19 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75751More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of planning permissions granted since July 2024 that have led to house building starts.
Answer: The Department does not collect data on the time taken between the granting of planning permission for a residential development and the start of housebuilding within the development.The information that the Department routinely collects on house building...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75750More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the average time since planning was granted for house building starts in each of the last five years.
Answer: The Department does not collect data on the time taken between the granting of planning permission for a residential development and the start of housebuilding within the development.The information that the Department routinely collects on house building...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75749More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 62017 on Housing, whether his Department has made an estimate of the potential impact of Part O on internal temperatures.
Answer: Part O of the Building Regulations, which aims to address the risk of overheating in new residential buildings, came into force in June 2022. A transition period was put in place to minimise disruption to projects that were already underway and to allow i...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordGreen Belt: MapsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75748More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 61248 on Green Belt: Maps, whether local authorities will be required to publish a map of grey belt areas within their areas du
Answer: It is for individual local planning authorities to undertake the necessary assessments to identify if land is grey belt, either through plan making or through considering specific applications that come forward. Similarly, it is for authorities to determi...
Answered 19 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government FinanceMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75747More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Fairer funding for councils across the country in major reform, published on 20 June 2025, what steps he is taking to ensure the effe
Answer: This government is absolutely committed to tackling the issues that matter to rural communities. The Fair Funding Review 2.0 ran from 20 June to 15 August 2025, and proposed reforming the local government funding system. The updated assessment which was c...
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordVisasHome OfficeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75746More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how often her Department checks that UK visa holders are living at the address provided.
Answer: Home Office decision makers can make enquiries as part of the visa consideration process to confirm that a person is intending to stay at the address provided in their application. Customers are encouraged to update their personal details, including their...
Answered 6 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordVisas: Social ServicesHome OfficeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75745More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of social care visa holders have transferred to another visa type since July 2024.
Answer: The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost. Official statistics published by the Home Office...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMigrant Workers: VisasHome OfficeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75744More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas have been issued where a public sector body is the sponsoring employer since July 2024; and how many of those visa holders are still employed by those bodies.
Answer: The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost. Official statistics published by the Home Office...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMigrant Workers: VisasHome OfficeTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75743More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas have been issued where the National Health Service is the sponsoring employer since July 2024; and how many of those visa holders are still employed by the NHS.
Answer: The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost. Official statistics published by the Home Office...
Answered 16 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75742More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to p.81 of the 10 Year Health Plan, published on 3 July 2025, what steps he is taking to ensure the accuracy of triage using AI on the NHS App for each patient.
Answer: We are currently developing our plans in response to the 10-Year Health Plan commitments to support artificial intelligence (AI) assisted triage. We will do so following stringent clinical safety standards as outlined in the NHS Service Standard, as well ...
Answered 8 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordEconomic GrowthTreasuryTabled 8 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 75741More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the OECD Economic Outlook, Volume 2025 Issue 1, published on 3 June 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the OECD's growth forecast for the UK
Answer: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an independent international organisation. As part of ongoing engagement with many different stakeholders relevant to the conduct of economic and fiscal policy, the Government engages re...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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