Blake Stephenson MP: written questions
865 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Housing: New TownsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56030More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has issued guidance to local authorities that have expressed interest in hosting a new town on the impact of the new town on their housing targets.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answers to Question UIN 35940 on 13 March 2025, Question UIN 42674 on 7 April 2025, and Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: New TownsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56029More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the New Towns Taskforce will be able to recommend sites for new towns that include land already allocated for strategic development.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answers to Question UIN 35940 on 13 March 2025, Question UIN 42674 on 7 April 2025, and Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNew TownsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56028More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to give Mayors the power to allocate new towns.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answers to Question UIN 35940 on 13 March 2025, Question UIN 42674 on 7 April 2025, and Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNew Towns: Local PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56027More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the New Towns Taskforce on the willingness of local authorities to allocate new towns through their local plans.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answers to Question UIN 35940 on 13 March 2025, Question UIN 42674 on 7 April 2025, and Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNew TownsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56026More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the minutes of formal discussions between Ministers and the New Towns Taskforce.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answers to Question UIN 35940 on 13 March 2025, Question UIN 42674 on 7 April 2025, and Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: Coastal Erosion and FloodsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56025More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the guidance entitled New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the potential i
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 is clear that new housing and most other forms of development should not be permitted in functional flood plains.National planning policy and guidance expect flood risk assessmen...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: Coastal Erosion and FloodsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56024More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the guidance entitled New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, whether her Department plans to have discussions with
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 is clear that new housing and most other forms of development should not be permitted in functional flood plains.National planning policy and guidance expect flood risk assessmen...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNew Towns: FloodsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56023More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether it his Department's policy that the New Towns Taskforce will be able to allocate new towns on areas of functional floodplain.
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 is clear that new housing and most other forms of development should not be permitted in functional flood plains.National planning policy and guidance expect flood risk assessmen...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: FloodsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56022More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the guidance entitled New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, if she will hold discussions with the Planning Inspe
Answer: The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 is clear that new housing and most other forms of development should not be permitted in functional flood plains.National planning policy and guidance expect flood risk assessmen...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNew TownsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56021More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the merits of publishing proposals received by the New Towns Taskforce but which are not taken forward.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answers to Question UIN 35940 on 13 March 2025, Question UIN 42674 on 7 April 2025, and Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordLand BankingMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56020More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of trends in the level of land banking by developers.
Answer: My Department does not routinely collect data from private developers on their land holdings or contracts over land.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironmental Delivery PlansMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56019More
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 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNatural England: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56018More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to funding to Natural England for national landscapes on important (a) habitats and (b) wildlife.
Answer: For the 2024-2025 financial year Natural England received a total of £237 million funding from Defra in their Delegated Authority Document, and for 2025-2026 this figure is £248 million.
Answered 17 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFloods: BedfordshireDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 56013More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many 1 in 100 year flooding events have occurred in Bedfordshire since 2010.
Answer: Data on the return period (such as “1 in 100 years”) of recent events is not available as flooding is never consistent and affects communities differently each time. Environment Agency (EA) records show that since 2010, there have been around 10 notable f...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: BedfordshireDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55513More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of installing new flood mitigations in Maulden, Bedfordshire.
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) recognises the impact of the flooding that residents of Maulden experienced following the severe weather events of 2024. Following events such as these, the immediate focus moves to recovery; Risk Management Authorities in the ...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: Owner OccupationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55512More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's guidance, new national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, if he will write to home owners now classified as bein
Answer: The Environment Agency (EA) provides a free service which allows homeowners to check and understand the flood risk around their properties and the actions they can do to reduce their risk. The EA also shares updated information about the risk of flooding ...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: HousingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55511More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's guidance, New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, whether his Department has had discussions with local
Answer: The Environment Agency has regular discussions with Lead Local Flood Authorities and Local Planning Authorities both nationally and locally, including before and after publication of the new flood and coastal erosion risk information.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: Owner OccupationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55510More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's guidance, New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, what steps he is taking to support home owners now cla
Answer: This Government will maintain the highest levels of flood protection while taking decisive action to fix our broken planning system and deliver 1.5 million homes through our Plan for Change. The Flood Zones in the Flood Map for Planning are aimed at plann...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: BedfordshireDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55508More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's guidance, New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, if he will make an estimate of the number of houses in
Answer: The number of properties in Bedfordshire classed within Flood Zone 2 is approximately 8200. The number of properties in Bedfordshire classed within Flood Zone 3 is approximately 3500.
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: HousingDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55507More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the guidance entitled New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, whether he has had discussions with the insurance sector on
Answer: The department regularly engages with the insurance industry, including bilaterally with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA). Engagement includes representation from the sector on the Flood Resilienc...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSewersDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55506More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to improve sustainable drainage since July 2024.
Answer: This Government is committed to requiring standardised Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) in new developments. These should be to designs that cope with changing climatic conditions as well as delivering wider water infrastructure benefits, reduce run of...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Landscapes: RegulationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55505More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to implement the recommendations of the report entitled Delivering economic growth and nature recovery: an independent review of Defra’s regulatory landscape, publishe
Answer: The Government has welcomed the publication of Dan Corry’s review of Defra’s regulatory landscape and confirmed that it is actively considering all 29 recommendations. The Government also confirmed that work is already underway on nine key measures with t...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordNational Landscapes: Flood Control and Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55504More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to implement recommendation 23 of the report entitled Delivering economic growth and nature recovery: an independent review of Defra’s regulatory landscape, published
Answer: The Government has welcomed the publication of Dan Corry’s review of Defra’s regulatory landscape and confirmed that it is actively considering all 29 recommendations. The Government also confirmed that work is already underway on nine key measures with t...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordBoilers: BiofuelsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55503More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to incentivise the use of (a) hydrated vegetable oil and (b) other biofuels in compatible boilers by (i) encouraging the availability of biofuels and (ii) (A) red
Answer: The Government expects most properties will ultimately switch to heat pumps as these are a proven technology and have been installed in high numbers in other countries.However, the Government is committed to ensuring that there is the right solution for e...
Answered 9 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordChurches: HeatingChurch CommissionersTabled 30 May 2025AnsweredUIN 55502More
Question: To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, if she will hold discussions with the Church of England on the potential merits of heating church buildings with boilers that are compatible with hydrated vegetable oil.
Answer: The National Church Institutions, Cathedral and Church Buildings Department does not recommend that parish churches use hydrated vegetable oil for heating. They have issued the following advice available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/chu...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament record
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