Blake Stephenson MP: written questions
665 published records · newest first.
Written questions
General Practitioners: InternetDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101976More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled Online GP appointment requests available everywhere from today, published on 1 October 2025, if he will consider allowing online appointment requests to
Answer: As of 1 October 2025, general practices (GPs) have been required to offer access to online services throughout core hours, from 8:00am to 6:30pm, bringing online access in line with walk-in and phone access. This change aims to improve patient access, red...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: TechnologyDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101975More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled NHS to invest in pioneering tech to drive down waiting lists, published on 26 September 2025, if he will monitor value for money and return on investmen
Answer: The Department is developing Value Based Procurement Standard Guidance to ensure greater consistency in National Health Service procurement and shift decisions towards value and outcomes over unit cost.13 NHS trusts, covered by nine procurement teams are ...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101974More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2025 to written question 75742, if he will make an estimate of the resources required for continuous monitoring.
Answer: Detailed planning is still underway for the Spending Review period, which would include the continuous monitoring of all elements of the NHS App, including artificial intelligence assisted triage functionality. At this stage no estimate has been made of t...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: EqualityDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101973More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2025 to written question 73484, if he will provide a list of communities within that definition.
Answer: As outlined in my answer of 8 October 2025 to Question 73484, the 10-Year Health Plan, which has set out a long-term vision to reform the National Health Service and make it fit for the future, refers both to “working class jobs” and “working class commun...
Answered 14 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordMental Health: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101972More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of safeguards in AI when dealing with mental health based queries.
Answer: The Department recognises the importance of safeguards when using artificial intelligence (AI) for mental health queries. The United Kingdom has a world-leading regulatory system, and the National Health Service operates within a comprehensive regulatory ...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGP Surgeries: New TownsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101971More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make additional funding available to open GP surgeries in areas designated for New Towns.
Answer: In May, we announced schemes which will benefit from the £102 million Utilisation and Modernisation Fund (UMF) to deliver upgrades to a thousand general practice (GP) surgeries across England this financial year. Building on this, the Government has commi...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGP SurgeriesDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101970More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will provide a list of new GP surgeries which have opened in the last decade in England.
Answer: The data provided shows the number of general practices (GPs) that opened, at 74, and that closed, at 15, between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2026 in England.If a practice ceases to be a main practice and becomes a branch practice of another, this will c...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNHS: Agency WorkersDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101969More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the NHS has spent on agency staff by employment type in each of the last five years.
Answer: Temporary staffing allows the National Health Service to meet workforce demand fluctuations without the need to increase capacity above that which is required on a sustained basis. NHS England publishes the total agency spend for providers on a quarterly ...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGeneral Practitioners: InternetDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101968More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with GPs on booking appointments online.
Answer: In February 2025, as part of the annual contract negotiations, the Department consulted with the General Practitioners Committee England, the representative body for general practitioners (GPs). During these discussions, the General Practitioners Committe...
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordCommunity Care: Rural AreasDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101967More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 11 September 2025 to Written Question 73770, how many neighbourhoods he expects each ICB to designate.
Answer: Neighbourhoods are natural communities that are recognisable by local residents. Typically, neighbourhoods will have populations of approximately 50,000 people, but coherent geography is more important for defining neighbourhoods than the population size....
Answered 23 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPalestine: Recognition of StatesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101966More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, where the UK recognises as the capital of the State of Palestine.
Answer: It is the longstanding position of the UK Government that Jerusalem should be a shared capital of two states, with its final status determined as part of a negotiated, peaceful settlement between Israelis and Palestinians, respecting the access and religi...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPalestine: EmbassiesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101965More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to open an Embassy in Palestine.
Answer: It is the longstanding position of the UK Government that Jerusalem should be a shared capital of two states, with its final status determined as part of a negotiated, peaceful settlement between Israelis and Palestinians, respecting the access and religi...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAnimal ExperimentsDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101964More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of new technologies on the need for animal testing.
Answer: The Government’s strategy to support replacing animals in science covers an assessment of the potential impact of new technologies and sets out our long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circu...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordFlood Control: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101963More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Deprived communities to get new flood defences faster, published on 14 October 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the potential im
Answer: As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, we are investing £4.2 billion over three years (2026/27 to 2028/29) to construct new flood schemes and maintain and repair existing defences across the country. On 14 October 2025, following consultation, the g...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Land UseDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101962More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to protect Best and Most Versatile agricultural land from development.
Answer: The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) underlines the importance of the Best and Most Versatile agricultural land which is the land most valuable for food production. Where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessar...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSoil: ConservationDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101961More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing planning protections for high-functioning soils by designating them as Soil Conservation Zones.
Answer: The Government has no plans to assess or introduce new planning-based protected designations for high functioning soils. However, the Government recognises the importance of improving and protecting soil health, through sustainable and responsibly managed...
Answered 9 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSewage: Pollution ControlDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101960More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Reed: Government to cut sewage pollution in half by 2030, published on 19 July 2025, what proportion of the £104bn funding has been allocat
Answer: The Government has secured £104 billion of investment which includes over £10 billion to reduce sewage discharges from over 2,500 storm overflows in England and £4.8 billion to reduce phosphorus pollution. This will deliver on cleaning up our rivers, lake...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordNational Energy System Operator: MembersDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101959More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will impose a duty on the National Energy System Operator to inform hon. Members of connection applications in their constituencies.
Answer: Network connection applications are confidential to the parties involved before the point of a contract being signed, but details of generation and storage transmission connection agreements are published in the Transmission Entry Capacity Register TEC Re...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordErasmus+ ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101958More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release entitled Young people from all backgrounds to get opportunity to study abroad as UK-EU deal unlocks Erasmus+, published on 17 December 2025, if she will make an estimate of t
Answer: In order for the UK to participate in Erasmus+, EU regulations require the UK to establish a National Agency separate to any existing government department to manage the indirect management actions of the programme. The European Commission entrusts the ...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordErasmus+ ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101957More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release entitled Young people from all backgrounds to get opportunity to study abroad as UK-EU deal unlocks Erasmus+, published on 17 December 2025, for what reason she plans to esta
Answer: In order for the UK to participate in Erasmus+, EU regulations require the UK to establish a National Agency separate to any existing government department to manage the indirect management actions of the programme. The European Commission entrusts the ...
Answered 15 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSupply TeachersDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101956More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release entitled Schools to save millions as Government launches agency profit cap, published on 4 December 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that policy
Answer: Supply teachers and supply staff perform a valuable role, and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools across the country.Schools, academies and local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of their supply staff, whi...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSchools: BedfordshireDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101955More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 3 October 2025 to written question 74972, if she will list the eleven schools in Bedfordshire.
Answer: The department has published details of successful projects and applicants to the Condition Improvement Fund for the 2025/26 financial year, including the local authority and constituency. This list can be found on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/governme...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordStudents: GrantsDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101954More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of re-introducing maintenance grants.
Answer: Targeted, means-tested maintenance grants will be funded by a new International Student Levy, with both being introduced in the 2028/29 academic year. The International Student Levy will require higher education providers to pay a flat fee of £925 per int...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPrimary Education: School LibrariesDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101953More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary schools do not have a library.
Answer: I refer the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire to the answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 81502.
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101952More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing (a) vouchers and (b) tax rebates to parents who send children to independent schools of a value less than the cost to the public purse per y
Answer: The department does not hold this information. Decisions on private school fees are for private schools to make as private businesses. Matters of taxation are for HMRC.
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament record
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