Blake Stephenson MP: written questions
865 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Technical Excellence Colleges: ApprenticesDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63763More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Next generation of builders and carers set to rebuild Britain, published on 27 May 2025, whether Technical Excellence Colleges will be able to provide L
Answer: The department is introducing technical excellence colleges (TECs) to specialise in training the skilled workforces which industry needs in priority sectors. This starts with the launch of 10 construction TECs from September 2025. TECs will provide the cr...
Answered 16 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordApprentices: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63762More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to funding for Level 7 apprenticeships on learners aged 22 and above.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57098.
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSchools: BedfordshireDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63758More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press release published on 22 May 2025 entitled Teachers to benefit from pay boost, if she will make an estimate of the change in the (a) employers’ National Insurance and (b)
Answer: Schools are receiving £615 million to support them with the costs of the 2025 pay awards, over and above the funding already being provided to schools in financial year 2025/26. The increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) costs were considered...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSchools: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63757More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press release published on 22 May 2025 entitled Teachers to benefit from pay boost, what guidance she has issued to schools on steps to make savings through increased producti
Answer: Schools are receiving £615 million to support them with the costs of the 2025 pay awards, over and above the funding already being provided to schools in financial year 2025/26. The increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) costs were considered...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSchools: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63756More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press release published on 22 May 2025 entitled Teachers to benefit from pay boost, what estimate she has made of the increase in employers’ National Insurance costs for schoo
Answer: Schools are receiving £615 million to support them with the costs of the 2025 pay awards, over and above the funding already being provided to schools in financial year 2025/26. The increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) costs were considered...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSchools: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63754More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press release published on 22 May 2025 entitled, Teachers to benefit from pay boost, if she will make an estimate of the cost to schools of funding the first 1% of the pay awa
Answer: Schools are receiving £615 million to support them with the costs of the 2025 pay awards, over and above the funding already being provided to schools in financial year 2025/26. The increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) costs were considered...
Answered 8 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMilitary Bases: ClosuresMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63753More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 55488 on Military Bases: Closures, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the site disposal guidelines due to increasing risks to
Answer: Both global and national security risks are already continually assessed as part of the military requirement for sites that shape the disposal position.
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: FinanceMinistry of DefenceTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63752More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has had recent discussions with his US counterpart on spending 5% of gross national income on defence.
Answer: The Secretary of State for Defence has regular engagements with the US Secretary of Defense where they discuss a range of topics including defence spending. At the Hague Summit, Allies committed to investing 5% of GDP annually on defence and security, whi...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGREATCabinet OfficeTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63750More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the contribution of the GREAT campaign to the economy in the 2023-24 financial year.
Answer: GREAT has a robust evaluation framework which has been independently assessed by the National Audit Office, Ipsos and Deloitte and was recently commended by the joint Cabinet Office / HM Treasury Evaluation Task Force. The independent GREAT Strategic Revi...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGREAT: Cost EffectivenessCabinet OfficeTabled 30 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 63749More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to request that the National Audit Office perform a value for money analysis of the GREAT campaign.
Answer: GREAT has a robust evaluation framework which has been independently assessed by the National Audit Office, Ipsos and Deloitte and was recently commended by the joint Cabinet Office / HM Treasury Evaluation Task Force. The independent GREAT Strategic Revi...
Answered 7 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPersonal TaxationTreasuryTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 904945More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the average amount of tax paid by each person in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.
Answer: In 2024-25, HMRC expect the average amount of Income Tax paid by income tax payers to be £7,950.In 2025-26, HMRC expect the average amount of Income Tax paid by income tax payers to be £8,270.
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62932More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 52040 on Private Education: VAT, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the five month preparation period for private schools.
Answer: The government believes it is right these changes were introduced as soon as possible in order to raise the funding needed to help deliver our commitments to public services, including those relating to education and young people. Together, the VAT and bu...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62931More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when her Department plans to publish the income generated from applying VAT to school fees in 2024-25.
Answer: The Annex to the Government Response to the Technical Note, Government_Response_to_the_Technical_Note_on_Applying_VAT_to_Private_School_Fees_and_Removing_the_Business_Rates_Charitable_Rate_Relief.pdf, sets out the expected VAT revenue resulting from this ...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62930More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 52391 on Private Education: VAT, if she will provide a breakdown of how the additional £460m will be spent.
Answer: The government believes it is right these changes were introduced as soon as possible in order to raise the funding needed to help deliver our commitments to public services, including those relating to education and young people. Together, the VAT and bu...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSchools: BroadbandDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62929More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 50632 on Schools: Broadband, if she will list the five schools in Bedfordshire.
Answer: The five schools due to receive a funded update to fibre this year in Bedfordshire are:Derwent Primary School, Central Bedfordshire, SG16 6BA.Eaton Bray Academy, Central Bedfordshire, LU6 2DT (completed).Milton Ernest CofE Primary School, Bedford, MK44 1R...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62928More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reductions to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on (a) adoptive parents, (b) special guardians, (c) kinship carers and (d) the children
Answer: The new criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund enable as many children and families as possible to access the available funding. The department always assesses the impact of changes on children and their families. This includes re...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordArmed Forces: CybersecurityMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62927More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the press release entitled UK to deliver pioneering battlefield system and bolster cyber warfare capabilities under Strategic Defence Review, published on 29 May 2025, how the starting salary fo
Answer: There is no exact private sector equivalent for Cyber Operators in the Armed Forces, and private sector cyber salaries vary significantly. Cyber Direct Entrants are offered a starting salary exceeding £40,000, with the opportunity to earn up to an additio...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDefence: Artificial IntelligenceMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62926More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release Largest ever UK defence AI trial conducted across land, sea and air, published on 25 May 2025, whether he has made an assessment of the cyber security risks of inc
Answer: The process of understanding threat informs the functioning of our entire enterprise, from intelligence and military operations through to what technologies we adopt and why. AI naturally features as one of the many technologies that the Ministry of Defen...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordDiego Garcia: Military BasesMinistry of DefenceTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62925More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK will need permission from Mauritius to alter operations at Diego Garcia under the terms of the UK-Mauritius agreement on the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answer: No permission is required as a result of the treaty. Annex 1, paragraph 1(b)(i) of the treaty sets out that the United Kingdom will have unrestricted ability to control the conduct and deployment of armed operations.
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: ConstructionDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62924More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Department’s press release Major investment partnership worth £24 billion to transform key growth sectors and deliver affordable housing across UK, published on 19 May 2025, if he
Answer: We can disclose the sites of the development as released by TCE on 19 May 2025:60 acres above and around Euston Station in London, to deliver 4.3 million square foot of commercial space, 2,000 new homes.60 acres in Silvertown in London, to deliver 1.3 mil...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62923More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52390 on Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions, how many automotive manufacturing businesses are operating in the sector.
Answer: In 2024, there were 3,570 businesses operating across UK automotive, of which the vast majority are small and medium sized businesses. Our Industrial Strategy aims to significantly increase investment and jobs in eight high-growth sectors - including auto...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Manufacturing IndustriesDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 25 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62922More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52390 on Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions, how many people are employed in the automotive industry.
Answer: 132,000 people were employed in automotive manufacturing in the UK in 2024, 5.1% of total UK manufacturing employment, around half in manufacturing finished vehicles and half in manufacturing car bodies, parts and accessories. In addition, a further 263,0...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordMobile Phones: AerialsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62301More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press notice entitled Huge mobile signal boost across UK countryside now covering area larger than 66,000 football pitches, published on 28 May 2025, which additio
Answer: The location of Home Office masts that have been upgraded for the Shared Rural Network (SRN), including six additional masts activated for the programme since the press notice was published, can be found in the table below. We plan to upgrade over 40 more...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMobile Phones: AerialsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62300More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press notice entitled Huge mobile signal boost across UK countryside now covering area larger than 66,000 football pitches, published on 28 May 2025, which sites h
Answer: The location of Home Office masts that have been upgraded for the Shared Rural Network (SRN), including six additional masts activated for the programme since the press notice was published, can be found in the table below. We plan to upgrade over 40 more...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGovernment Departments: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 24 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62299More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press release Government-built “Humphrey” AI tool reviews responses to consultation for first time, in bid to save millions, published on 14 May 2025, in which are
Answer: Consult is a tool designed to analyse responses to public consultations, it uses AI to identify themes for each question and map responses to those themes.The first live evaluation of Consult was completed using the Scottish Government’s recent consultati...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament record
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