Every parliamentary written question tabled by Blake Stephenson this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 201–220 of 1,535 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, how many school places per head he is targeting for new towns.
I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.
Whether she has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of re-introducing maintenance grants.
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 international student per year, with proceeds being fully reinvested into higher education and skills. This will make sure that revenue from international students directly benefits domestic students from low-income households.
Communities and Local Government, how many locations for new towns he plans to bring to development corporation stage by 2029.
I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.
Communities and Local Government, if he will set out the timeline for establishing a Mayoral Strategic Authority in Bedfordshire.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97367 on 11 December 2025. Decisions on future devolution areas beyond those in the Devolution Priority Programme, including Bedfordshire, have not yet been taken, but the Department will continue to engage with local authorities about possible future devolution agreements. All future funding decisions, including the 30-year investment fund, will form part of conversations with local areas. The government is committed to ensuring that all new Strategic Authorities are built on strong foundations and set up to succeed.
If he will impose a duty on the National Energy System Operator to inform hon. Members of connection applications in their constituencies.
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 Register | National Energy System Operator. The equivalent for Interconnector projects is at Interconnector Register | National Energy System Operator.
What proportion of organisations on the register of licensed sponsors have sponsored visas a) in the last 10 years and b) since 4 July 2024.
The Home Office publishes data on Visa Sponsors that are B rated in the ‘Register of licensed sponsors: workers - GOV.UK’.Please note - published data shows the number of licensed sponsors over time but does not include the number of visas associated with each organisation. The Home Office publishes data on the number of visas sponsored by organisations over the past 10 years, as well as data since 4 July 2024, in the ‘Migration transparency data - GOV.UK’.Data on the number of visas sponsored by licensed organisations is published in table SP_01 of the ‘Sponsorship transparency data: July to September 2025’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from 2014 Q1 up to the end of 2025 Q3.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled More homes and improved high streets for new mayoral areas through 30-year funding package, published on 4 December 2025, whether additional funding will be available for new mayoral areas outside the Devolution Priority Programme.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 97367 on 11 December 2025. Decisions on future devolution areas beyond those in the Devolution Priority Programme, including Bedfordshire, have not yet been taken, but the Department will continue to engage with local authorities about possible future devolution agreements. All future funding decisions, including the 30-year investment fund, will form part of conversations with local areas. The government is committed to ensuring that all new Strategic Authorities are built on strong foundations and set up to succeed.
Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the cost of elections for new Mayors during this Parliament.
No assessment has been made. Spend on council elections is a matter for local authorities and spend on mayoral elections for strategic authorities is a matter for those bodies.
If she will make an estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of putting a child through secondary state school education.
Annually, the department publishes the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), which includes information on the amount of core schools funding allocated by the department nationally as well as to each local authority. This includes the amount of funding allocated in respect of secondary pupils in mainstream schools, the ‘secondary schools unit of funding’. The DSG for financial year 2026/27 has now been published and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2026-to-2027.In addition to the funding from the DSG, schools also receive additional school funding annually, for example through the Pupil Premium grant (in respect of pupils eligible for free school meals in the last six years), and capital funding.
Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of his planning policies on nature.
The Environment Act 2021 requires Ministers to have 'due regard' to the policy statement on environmental principles when making policy. This is to ensure that environmental considerations are at the heart of policymaking across government. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that to protect and enhance biodiversity and geodiversity, local plans should identify, map and safeguard components of local wildlife rich habitats and wider ecological networks such as chalk streams. It is for local planning authorities to apply this policy when planning for new development. The government is currently consulting on changes to the NPPF, including proposals to simplify and improve the approach to environmental protections and promote a stronger focus on green infrastructure and nature-based solutions. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Mayors and councillors to access LGPS under reforms, published on 13 October 2025, whether he has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of that policy.
As set out in the consultation on access to the LGPS for mayors and councillors, the Government Actuary’s Department has estimated the cost at £40-45 million per year.
Communities and Local Government, if his Department will make additional infrastructure funding available to Central Bedfordshire Council for the Tempsford and Milton Keynes New Towns.
I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.
What steps he is taking to ensure national accountability for equitable provision of palliative care across England.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification.The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and enable ICBs to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan. Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality.The recently published Strategic Commissioning Framework and Medium-Term Planning Guidance also make clear the expectations that ICBs should understand current and projected total service utilisation and costs for those at the end of life, creating an overall plan to more effectively meet these needs through neighbourhood health.Hospices provide both core and specialist palliative care. Whilst acknowledging that not everyone will need specialist palliative care, we must ensure is that there is equitable and timely access to these services, whether they are provided by hospices or the National Health Service.
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 impact of deprivation on flood risk.
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 government announced major changes to its flood and coastal erosion funding policy. The reforms will make it quicker and easier to deliver the right flood defences in the right places, optimise funding between new floods projects and maintaining existing defences, and will ensure that deprived communities continue to receive vital investment. Areas of deprivation face particular challenges in preparing for and recovering from the impacts of flooding. This is why a minimum of 20% of FCERM investment will go to the 20% most deprived communities and a minimum of 40% to the 40% most deprived communities combined over both the next three and ten years.
Whether her Department is providing funding towards new fare arrangements in Greater Manchester.
The simplified fares system that the Department worked with Transport for Greater Manchester to deliver in December is revenue neutral, reducing passenger fares at no cost to the public purse.
Innovation and Technology, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential impact of the take-up of AI on adult education requirements.
Ministers in DSIT and DfE are working closely together to ensure adult education keeps pace with the rapid take-up of AI. As AI is increasingly adopted across the workplace, this will create a high demand for workers to have the skills to deploy AI. This will require adult education and upskilling to evolve for the AI age, which is why we’re jointly reviewing AI skills needs, expanding lifelong learning, and rolling out new scholarships and traineeships so adults can upskill and reskill for the jobs AI is creating. DSIT has also formed a partnership with 11 major technology companies and leading UK businesses to upskill 7.5 million workers in AI by 2030. This will ensure that UK workers benefit from the transformational impact AI will have in the workplace, including those working for small businesses and in all parts of the country.
Whether he has considered fully funding specialist palliative care, advice and assessment provided by hospices.
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning palliative care services to meet the reasonable needs of their population, which can include hospice services available within the ICB catchment. To support ICBs in this duty, NHS England has published statutory guidance and a service specification.The Government is developing a Palliative Care and End of Life Care Modern Service Framework (MSF) for England. The MSF will drive improvements in the services that patients and their families receive at the end of life and enable ICBs to address challenges in access, quality, and sustainability through the delivery of high-quality, personalised care. This will be aligned with the ambitions set out in the recently published 10-Year Health Plan. Through our MSF, we will closely monitor the shift towards the strategic commissioning of palliative care and end of life care services to ensure that services reduce variation in access and quality.The recently published Strategic Commissioning Framework and Medium-Term Planning Guidance also make clear the expectations that ICBs should understand current and projected total service utilisation and costs for those at the end of life, creating an overall plan to more effectively meet these needs through neighbourhood health.Hospices provide both core and specialist palliative care. Whilst acknowledging that not everyone will need specialist palliative care, we must ensure is that there is equitable and timely access to these services, whether they are provided by hospices or the National Health Service.
Pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2025 to written question 73484, if he will provide a list of communities within that definition.
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 communities”. It uses those terms in the standard way they are used in English to indicate people who are employed for wages and generally experience greater job insecurity, lower benefits, and less financial security than those in higher social classes.Communities that we focus on will include those areas in which life expectancy is lower and illness more prevalent, where jobs are less secure and provide fewer benefits and financial security for those who work in them compared to others in society, and these may vary depending on local context. These communities will be prioritised for investment in staff, services, and infrastructure, in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.
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 establish a dedicated national agency.
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 distribution of indirect management funding to the National Agency to bring Erasmus+ as close as possible to its beneficiaries. National Agencies promote and implement the Erasmus+ Programme at the national level and are the link between the European Commission and participating organisations at local, regional, and national levels. A National Agency will be appointed in due course to deliver Erasmus+ for the UK.
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 the cost of a) establishing and b) operating the new national agency.
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 distribution of indirect management funding to the National Agency to bring Erasmus+ as close as possible to its beneficiaries. National Agencies promote and implement the Erasmus+ Programme at the national level and are the link between the European Commission and participating organisations at local, regional, and national levels. A National Agency will be appointed in due course to deliver Erasmus+ for the UK.