Blake Stephenson MP: written questions
1633 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Planning Authorities: StaffMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73785More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of qualified planners in local government.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 67508 on 21 July 2025 and Question UIN 54911 on 10 June 2025.
Answered 15 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Government: ReorganisationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73784More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 26699 on Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to all
Answer: The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, introduced to the House of Commons on 10 July 2025, amends provisions in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 and the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 concerning t...
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordIntegrated Care Boards: ReorganisationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73783More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her proposals for English devolution could require the further re-organisation of (a) NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board and (b) other integr
Answer: The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), alongside NHS England, continue to work closely on any proposals to reorganise integrated care boards (ICBs). In areas where Strategic A...
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordImmigrationHome OfficeTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73782More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who breached the terms of their visa were subsequently granted indefinite leave to remain since 4 July 2024.
Answer: Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office as well as the manual checking of records and, therefore, could only be obtained at disprop...
Answered 23 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordFire and Rescue Services: BedfordshireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73781More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of funding for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Answer: On 3 February, the Ministry published the 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS) which sets out funding allocations for all local authorities including fire and rescue to support their operational and capital needs.These allocations, which inc...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordUndocumented Migrants: English ChannelHome OfficeTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73780More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with her French counterpart on intercepting small boats in shallow waters.
Answer: We continue to work closely with the French Government as they review their Maritime Doctrine so they can intervene successfully at sea and increase preventions. We are engaging extensively across the French system to ensure the earliest possible deployme...
Answered 9 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: GraduatesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73779More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of medical students who graduated at the end of the 2024-25 academic year who will begin work in the NHS in the 2025-26 academic year.
Answer: The Department does not hold the information requested.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, published 3 July 2025, we will work across the Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training. We will also prioritise UK medi...
Answered 18 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: GraduatesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73778More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of medical students who graduated in each of the past five years were working in the NHS on 1 September 2025.
Answer: The Department does not hold the information requested.As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, published 3 July 2025, we will work across the Government to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training. We will also prioritise UK medi...
Answered 18 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMedicine: Higher EducationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73777More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many medical students started university in each of the past five years.
Answer: The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) publish the number of United Kingdom-wide acceptances to medicine and dentistry jointly, but not to English providers for medicine alone. The latest number for UK medicine and dentistry acceptances, ...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMedicine: Higher EducationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73776More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of medical students starting university in autumn 2025.
Answer: The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) publish the number of United Kingdom-wide acceptances to medicine and dentistry jointly, but not to English providers for medicine alone. The latest number for UK medicine and dentistry acceptances, ...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordBreast Cancer: Mid BedfordshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73775More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help improve access to life-extending (a) treatments and (b) medicines for patients with incurable secondary breast cancer in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.
Answer: The Department remains committed to reducing waiting times for cancer treatment and to improving access to treatment across England, including for patients with incurable secondary breast cancer in the Mid Bedfordshire constituency.We have now exceeded ou...
Answered 30 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHospices: ChildrenDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73774More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of his Department's funding for children’s hospices.
Answer: Palliative care services are included in the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission. ICBs are responsible for the commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services, including from children’s hospices, to meet the need...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNeurological Diseases: Mid BedfordshireDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73773More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to improve access to NHS Continuing Healthcare for people with (a) Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and (b) Corticobasal Degeneration in Mid-Bedforshire constituency.
Answer: Our national statutory guidance, the National framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care, outlines that access to NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC) assessment, care provision, and support should be fair, consistent, and free from di...
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Nurses: DementiaDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73772More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether access to dementia specialist nurses will be available through his Department's planned Neighbourhood Health Services.
Answer: The Neighbourhood Health Service will bring together teams of professionals closer to people’s homes to work together to provide comprehensive care in the community. We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a way that reflects the spec...
Answered 10 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: SoftwareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73771More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled Managing healthcare easy as online banking with revamped NHS App, published on 3 July 2025, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people wh
Answer: We are working to improve access to digital services, outcomes, and experiences for the widest range of people, based on their preferences. Digital health tools should be part of a wider offering that includes face-to-face support, with appropriate help f...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity Care: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 1 Sept 2025AnsweredUIN 73770More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled PM launches new era for NHS with easier care in neighbourhoods, published on 2 July 2025, how his Department plans to define neighbourhoods in rural are
Answer: The Neighbourhood Health Service will mean millions of patients, including those in rural constituencies, are treated and cared for closer to their home by new teams of health professionals.We expect neighbourhood teams and services to be designed in a wa...
Answered 11 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: Capital InvestmentDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73491More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the National Audit Office's report entitled Lessons learned: Governance and decision-making on mega-projects, published on 12 March 2025, whether her Department plans to implement the recommen
Answer: The Department for Transport has an established rolling programme to continuously improve project delivery, drawing on lessons learned from its own portfolio and external reviews, including those published by the NAO. Our project delivery governance and a...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: EmploymentDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73490More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release Full steam ahead: young people take the drivers seat to improve train services and unlock jobs of 7 May 2025, if she will publish an evaluation of the impact of this policy w
Answer: The rail industry will be responsible for implementing the policy of lowering the minimum age requirement to be a train driver from 20 to 18, which will be enacted through changes to the Train Driving Licences and Certificates Regulations 2010. To ensure ...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordBuses: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73489More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to extend the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate to coaches.
Answer: The Department ran calls for evidence on the decarbonisation of coaches in spring 2022 and on zero emission HGV and coach infrastructure in autumn 2023. We will provide an update on coach decarbonisation in due course.
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: SalesDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73488More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to defer the ban on the sale of new (a) petrol and (b) diesel vehicles indefinitely; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of such a deferment on the price of
Answer: The Government has provided crucial certainty to British industry by re-instating the 2030 phase-out date for new cars relying solely on internal combustion engines. We are committing £4.5 billion to support the public and our automakers on the journey to...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: SalesDepartment for TransportTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73487More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to defer the ban on the sale of new (a) petrol and (b) diesel vehicles indefinitely; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of such a deferment on UK-based
Answer: The Government has provided crucial certainty to British industry by re-instating the 2030 phase-out date for new cars relying solely on internal combustion engines. We are committing £4.5 billion to support the public and our automakers on the journey to...
Answered 4 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordIntegrated Care Boards: ReorganisationDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73486More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 82 of the NHS Ten Year Plan, whether ICBs undergoing re-organisation will be further re-organised if their boundaries are not coterminous with new strategic authorities.
Answer: To deliver a reduction in running costs, a number of integrated care boards (ICBs) will cluster together to share leadership and functions. Clustering ICBs remain legally separate organisations with their own financial allocations. It will mean that durin...
Answered 22 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73485More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled World-first AI system to warn of NHS patient safety concerns of 30 June 2025, whether this will (a) augment and (b) replace human oversight.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan will bring our analogue health service into the digital age. It will make artificial intelligence (AI) every nurse’s and doctor’s trusted assistant, saving them time and supporting them in decision making.The Plan also focuses on s...
Answered 8 Sept 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: EqualityDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73484More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled Landmark plan to rebuild NHS in working-class communities of 25 June 2025, what definition his Department plans to use for working-class communities.
Answer: The 10-Year Health Plan has set out a long-term vision to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future. Addressing healthcare inequity is a core focus of the 10-Year Health Plan, to ensure the NHS is there for anyone who needs it when...
Answered 8 Oct 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: PakistanDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 29 Aug 2025AnsweredUIN 73483More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the press release entitled UK partnership brings new 250-bed Islamabad hospital closer to opening of 24 June 2025, if he will make an estimate of the net impact on the public purse.
Answer: While the specific contract value is commercially sensitive, all income generated supports NHS initiatives and trust improvements. Income generated through this International Affiliate Programme is reinvested into the Trust, supporting a range of initiati...
Answered 12 Sept 2025
Original Parliament record
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