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 141–160 of 1,528 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled £84 million injection to tackle homelessness, updated on 10 October 2025, what the allocations are for each local authority.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 82789 on 27 October 2025.
Communities and Local Government, whether the Milton Keynes New Town recommended by the New Towns Taskforce will include any areas in Central Bedfordshire Council.
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, pursuant to his Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 64580 on New Towns Taskforce, whether he has had discussions with the Chair of the independent New Towns Taskforce on the reasons for the publication of the Taskforce's report after the expected date of summer 2025.
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 discuss with the Chair of the New Towns Taskforce the potential merits of the publishing the sites that it considered but did not recommend 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.
Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the Social and Affordable Housing Programme will be spent in 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.
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 investment.
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 piloting the guidance prior to its publication and national rollout across the NHS in 2026.NHS trusts have established governance processes to monitor value for money and return on investment in line with Government policy. The guidance will support NHS procurement teams to do this with information on best practice for setting key performance indicators, baselining, and contract management.
Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have up-to-date Local Plans.
The latest available figures show that only 27% of local planning authorities have adopted a plan in the last five years. In order to deliver the homes and growth the country needs, we expect all local planning authorities to make every effort to get up-to-date local plans in place as soon as possible. As a government, we have made a clear commitment to achieving universal local plan coverage. To that end, we have been clear that we intend to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible. The government is committed to taking tough action to ensure local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. The law provides intervention powers for the government to take action to ensure that plans are progressed. Any decisions taken in relation to intervention in plan-making are considered on a case-by-case basis and take into account local circumstances.
Whether her Department monitors divorce filings to check visa compliance for family visa holders.
Family migration must be based on a genuine and subsisting relationships. The current probationary period before a spouse or partner can apply for settlement is a minimum of 5 years and requires more than one grant of permission to enter or stay to test whether a relationship is genuine and continuing to subsist.If the marriage or partnership breaks down permanently while the migrant partner still has limited permission to stay, or once the migrant partner has obtained settlement, the sponsoring partner can write to the Home Office and provide any information relevant to the migrant partner’s continued immigration status.The Home Office will consider this information and may cancel the former partner’s permission or revoke any settled status if it can be established this permission was obtained by deception.
Communities and Local Government, if his Department will ask the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to vary local authorities' boundaries where they would be spanned by a new town.
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, whether the New Towns Taskforce consulted flooding experts.
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, whether he has considered the potential implications for his policies of paragraph 31 of page 8 of the New Towns Taskforce report to Government.
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, with reference to the chapter Planning for local Housing Need in his Department’s response to the New Towns Taskforce entitled Initial government response - September 2025, whether local housing targets for areas containing a new town may be reduced.
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.
How many a) Government Departments and b) arms length bodies are registered to sponsor visas.
The Cabinet Office does not hold any data on public sector entities that are licensed to sponsor visas. A precise list of organisations licensed to sponsor workers on the Worker and Temporary Worker immigration routes can be found by searching the government’s register of licensed sponsors on gov.uk.
Communities and Local Government, whether social housing delivered through new towns will be owned by local authorities.
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, whether development corporations for new towns will be able to purchase primary residences.
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, whether stewardship models involving ongoing service charges for residents will be considered 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.
Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will produce guidance on reducing long term flood risk in 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.
Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities who have begun local plans which will not be submitted by December 2026 should continue with those plans.
The latest available figures show that only 27% of local planning authorities have adopted a plan in the last five years. In order to deliver the homes and growth the country needs, we expect all local planning authorities to make every effort to get up-to-date local plans in place as soon as possible. As a government, we have made a clear commitment to achieving universal local plan coverage. To that end, we have been clear that we intend to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible. The government is committed to taking tough action to ensure local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. The law provides intervention powers for the government to take action to ensure that plans are progressed. Any decisions taken in relation to intervention in plan-making are considered on a case-by-case basis and take into account local circumstances.
Communities and Local Government, what progress he has made against his house building targets.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 19066 on 20 December 2024.
Communities and Local Government, how many houses are planned to be built in the next five years in England.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 19066 on 20 December 2024.