Blake Stephenson MP: written questions
1633 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Housing: ConstructionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62021More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's plans for English Devolution on levels of housebuilding.
Answer: As set out in the English Devolution White Paper, Strategic Authorities will play a central role in the government's long term strategy for delivering housebuilding across England. All Strategic Authorities will be empowered to develop Spatial Development...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: TransportMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62020More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport supporting the delivery of transport infrastructure through the planning system.
Answer: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. My Department continues to work closely with the Department for Transport on matters relating to transport infrastructure and planning, as...
Answered 2 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public ConsultationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62019More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many responses have been received for each of her Department's consultations since 4 July 2024.
Answer: I refer the hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 5412 on 11 October 2024 and the answer to Question UIN 16492 on 4 December 2024.
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNew TownsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62018More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of houses in new towns will be sold at market prices.
Answer: The government established an independent New Towns Taskforce last year to develop recommendations on suitable locations for new towns to create new thriving communities, and act as a catalyst for economic growth. The Taskforce will deliver a final shortl...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHousingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62017More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she has made an assessment of the potential impact of Part O of Schedule 1 of the Building Regulations on her plans to develop beautiful communities.
Answer: The intention of Part O is to reduce the risk of overheating in new residential buildings. Overheating in buildings has been highlighted as a key risk for the health and productivity of people and businesses in the UK, and we must ensure that new homes do...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNew TownsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62016More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to consider the lessons learned from the development of previous new towns in its planning for new towns.
Answer: The government established an independent New Towns Taskforce last year to develop recommendations on suitable locations for new towns to create new thriving communities, and act as a catalyst for economic growth. The Taskforce will deliver a final shortl...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNew Towns: PlanningMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62015More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans her Department has to provide additional funding for infrastructure for local authorities for which new towns are planned.
Answer: The government established an independent New Towns Taskforce last year to develop recommendations on suitable locations for new towns to create new thriving communities, and act as a catalyst for economic growth. The Taskforce will deliver a final shortl...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62014More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust on the level of (a) capital and (b) revenue funding required to maintain (i) Bedford and (ii) Luton and Dunstable hospit
Answer: The Estates Returns Information Collection survey collects data from National Health Service trusts on the quality of their estate annually, including backlog maintenance, and the projected cost of bringing all buildings into acceptable condition. The lat...
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: ConstructionDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62013More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average amount of capital funding provided by his Department was for each new hospital built in the last five years.
Answer: Specific national capital funding is allocated by the Department for the building of new hospitals through the New Hospital Programme (NHP).The capital funding provided to build a new hospital varies significantly between each individual hospital. Hospita...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62012More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of the capital funding required to address maintenance backlogs at (a) Bedford and (b) Luton & Dunstable hospitals.
Answer: The Estates Returns Information Collection survey collects data from National Health Service trusts on the quality of their estate annually, including backlog maintenance, and the projected cost of bringing all buildings into acceptable condition. The lat...
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordBedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62011More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much capital funding will be provided for maintenance at (a) Bedford and (b) Luton & Dunstable hospitals as part of spending commitments made in the Autumn Budget 2024.
Answer: In 2025/26, the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been provided with £10.5 million from the Estates Safety Fund to address critical infrastructure and safety risks. Of this, £9.3 million will go to Bedford Hospital and £1.2 million will go t...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordGP Surgeries: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62010More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press notice entitled GP surgery refurbs to enable over 8 million more appointments, published on 6 May 2025, if he will publish a list of the 1000 GP surgeries r
Answer: On 6 May 2025, we announced which primary care schemes are in line to receive funding from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund. A full list of the schemes being prioritised for funding this year can be found at the following l...
Answered 1 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62009More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled AI doctors’ assistant to speed up appointments a ‘gamechanger’, published on 27 April 2025, what steps he is taking to ensure quality contr
Answer: NHS England is committed to supporting and enabling the safe deployment and adoption of new technology for the National Health Service. The adoption of ambient voice technology (AVT) solutions holds transformative potential for any care setting. Their ado...
Answered 4 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordIncinerators: Health HazardsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62008More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the UKHSA's guidance entitled Epidemiological evidence review in the UK and EU, following implementation of the Waste Incineration Directive, published on 9 June 2025, what assess
Answer: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is consulted by the Environment Agency (EA) on environmental permit applications to operate municipal waste incinerators (MWIs), in their role as regulator in England. UKHSA reviews the latest scientific evidence on t...
Answered 4 Aug 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: New TownsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62007More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the role that place-making in new towns could play in reducing demand pressures on the so
Answer: Ministers have regular discussions with Cabinet Office colleagues about a variety of issues, including, but not limited to, place-making in new towns.Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet t...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCommunity CareDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62006More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of trends in the level of change in demand for at home social care since 2019.
Answer: The number of local authority-funded social care users in community care settings has risen by approximately 5% between 2019/20 and 2023/24, according to a 2024 National Health Service publication produced in conjunction with the Department. However, this...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordCare Workers: Migrant WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 62005More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of people who entered the UK on a social care work visa in each of the past ten years who are (a) still in the UK and (b) still working in s
Answer: In February 2022, care workers became eligible for the Health and Care Visa and were added to the Shortage Occupation List. Senior care workers were added to the list of eligible occupations for the Health and Care Visa in January 2021, therefore, we are ...
Answered 4 Aug 2025
Original Parliament recordNHS EnglandDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 23 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61979More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether an impact assessment was carried out on the abolition of NHS England.
Answer: Work is progressing at pace to develop the design and operating model for the new integrated organisation, and to plan for the smooth transfer of people, functions, and responsibilitiesIt is only right that with such significant reform, we commit to caref...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: Migrant WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61640More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of social care reforms on levels of demand for immigration.
Answer: It is the Government’s policy to reduce reliance on international recruitment in adult social care and to improve domestic recruitment and retention. The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: Migrant WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61639More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of social care workforce demand on levels of immigration in each of the last ten years.
Answer: In February 2022, care workers became eligible for the Health and Care Visa and were added to the Shortage Occupation List. Senior care workers were added to the list of eligible occupations for the Health and Care Visa in January 2021.Published data on e...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Services: ReformDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61638More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to make a further announcement on social care reform.
Answer: The independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Casey, is looking at what fundamental reforms will be needed as we build towards a National Care Service, including what social care should look like, who it should serve, and who shou...
Answered 3 Jul 2025
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61637More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners with a net worth of over £1 million who are eligible for pension credit.
Answer: The Department does not collect data on individuals’ net worth.
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordWinter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61636More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners with a net worth of over £1 million who will be eligible to receive Winter Fuel Payments.
Answer: The Department does not collect data on individuals’ net worth.
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPensioners: IncomeDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61635More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the (a) decile, (b) upper quartile, (c) lower quartile and (d) median annual income of pensioners with a net worth of £1 million or above.
Answer: The Department does not collect data on individuals’ net worth.
Answered 26 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordEmployment: National LandscapesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 20 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 61634More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of reducing funding to Natural England’s programme to designate or expand National Landscapes on employment.
Answer: Natural England (NE) has the statutory responsibility for identifying areas for new or extended National Landscape designations. Given the pressures on public finances, Defra has had to make difficult decisions about funding. It was not affordable to cont...
Answered 30 Jun 2025
Original Parliament record
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