Blake Stephenson MP: written questions
1633 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Schools: Flood ControlDepartment for EducationTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54102More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the national flood risk assessment data, published on 25 March 2025, whether her Department plans to improve the flood defences of schools in flood zones (a) two and (b) three.
Answer: The department’s Schools Water Strategy team works with delivery partners such as the Environment Agency, water companies and lead local flood authorities to deliver flood prevention measures in schools through a number of workstreams.The Sustainable Drai...
Answered 5 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordSchools: Flood ControlDepartment for EducationTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54101More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the national flood risk assessment data, published on 25 March 2025, whether she has written to schools with buildings in flood zones (a) two and (b) three.
Answer: The department’s Schools Water Strategy team works with delivery partners such as the Environment Agency, water companies and lead local flood authorities to deliver flood prevention measures in schools through a number of workstreams.The Sustainable Drai...
Answered 6 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate EducationTreasuryTabled 21 May 2025AnsweredUIN 54100More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury of 3 March 2025, Official Report, column 40WH, on what evidential basis she estimated that 100 additional private schools would
Answer: At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government published the following Policy Paper Private school fees — VAT measure - GOV.UK . The basis for the estimate of school closures is set out in this paper under the heading ‘Impact on business including civil society or...
Answered 3 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAir Passenger Duty: ChildrenTreasuryTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52401More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Air Passenger Duty exemption for children under 16 years old to include those travelling in (a) Premium Economy and (b) any other cabin class.
Answer: Children under 16 years old on the date of the flight, and in the lowest class of travel, are exempt from Air Passenger Duty (APD). If children under 16 years old are travelling in any other class (such as premium economy) or in business jets, they are no...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAir Passenger Duty: ChildrenTreasuryTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52400More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of total revenue generated by Air Passenger Duty from children aged under 16 years old who travelled in Premium Economy in each of the last three years.
Answer: Children under 16 years old on the date of the flight, and in the lowest class of travel, are exempt from Air Passenger Duty (APD). If children under 16 years old are travelling in any other class (such as premium economy) or in business jets, they are no...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAir Passenger DutyTreasuryTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52399More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the Standard Rate of Air Passenger Duty in (a) the UK, (b) Germany, (c) France, (d) Italy and (e) Spain.
Answer: Air Passenger Duty (APD) applies to airlines and is the principal tax on the aviation sector. For a given distance-based band, the standard rate applies to travel in any non-economy class of travel or where the seat pitch is more than 1.016 metres (40 inc...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning and Infrastructure Bill: Environment ProtectionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52398More
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 Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the UK’s target to protect at least 30 per cent of its land and sea for nature b
Answer: The Departmernt published an Impact Assessment (IA) for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on 6 May 2025. It can be found here. The IA received a ‘Green’ rating from the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC), indicating that it is ‘fit for purpose’.
Answered 23 May 2025
Original Parliament recordScience and Technology: Primary EducationDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52397More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the press release entitled Children embrace the future with humanoid school project, published on 14 April 2025, how much (a) time and (b) money the Government has spe
Answer: The humanoid robots school outreach project was part of the Government Office for Science's work to build scientific and technical literacy across the Government and the UK. It was part of a wider project developing advice for government assessing recent ...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: FinanceDepartment for TransportTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52396More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to allocate a multi-year funding settlement for (a) revenue and (b) capital to Great British Railways.
Answer: The recent consultation on reforming our railways proposed that the Secretary of State will be required to issue a High-Level Output Specification (HLOS) and Statement of Funds Available (SoFA) for GBR’s Infrastructure Operations, Maintenance and Renewals...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEast West Rail Line: BedfordDepartment for TransportTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52395More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release entitled Multi-billion pound investment secured as Universal theme park and resort set to be built in Bedford, published on 9 April 2025, if she will request that East West R
Answer: East West Rail Company consulted on options for stations and services along the Marston Vale Line as part of its 2024 non-statutory consultation. It is now considering feedback to this as well as the recent Government announcement of a new Universal Studi...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordEast West Rail Line: Rolling StockDepartment for TransportTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52394More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the amount of new rolling stock required to be purchased to deliver East West Rail services.
Answer: Work is ongoing to establish demand levels and the optimal Train Service Specification (TSS) between Oxford & Cambridge, this details the frequency and stopping pattern of the proposed services and rolling stock requirements. These factors continue to...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordSmall Businesses: Labour MigrationTreasuryTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52393More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the number of SME owners that have left the UK since 5 July 2024.
Answer: Business Population Estimates show trends in the number of businesses in the UK by size, alongside sectoral and regional distribution: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/business-population-estimates-2024/business-population-estimates-for-the-uk-and...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness: FinanceTreasuryTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52392More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the press release entitled Government steps in to back British business in changing world, published on 14 April 2025, whether any of the funding is additional to funding provided at the Spring Sta
Answer: The Government is committed to supporting British businesses as the world enters a new era of global trade. The government has increased the capacity of UK Export Finance (UKEF) to provide support for exporters by £20 billion and has expanded the British ...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordPrivate Education: VATTreasuryTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52391More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential disruption to the education sector of introducing the VAT levy on independent school fees in the middle of the academic year.
Answer: The Government carefully considered the timing of implementation of VAT on private school fees and decided to apply VATfrom January 2025, in order to raise the funding needed to help deliver its education priorities. As a result of the January start date,...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52390More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate on employment in the automotive industry in (a) Bedfordshire and (b) the UK.
Answer: In 2024, 132,000 people were employed in automotive manufacturing in the UK, and 3,570 businesses were operating across the sector. While the government does not hold data on how the Zero Emissions Vehicle Mandate has affected automotive employment in Bed...
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: InfrastructureDepartment for TransportTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52389More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the average impact of judicial reviews on the cost of road infrastructure projects between 2015 and 2025.
Answer: The impact of judicial reviews on the cost of road infrastructure projects will vary by scheme. National Highways has calculated that the increase in costs to its schemes, caused by legal challenges, is between £66 million and £121 million per scheme.
Answered 22 May 2025
Original Parliament recordTransport: North of EnglandTreasuryTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52052More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the press release entitled PM: North will no longer be held to ransom by broken transport system, published on 28 March 2025, how these projects will be funded.
Answer: Where these projects required funding in 25/26, this funding has already been allocated to the Department for Transport. Funding allocations for future years will be set out at the upcoming spending review on June 11th.
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAir Passenger DutyTreasuryTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52051More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of future rates of Air Passenger Duty on the government’s ambition for the United Kingdom to welcome 50 million international visitors per year by 2030.
Answer: Air Passenger Duty (APD) only applies to UK-departing flights. The Government has published Tax Impact and Information Notes (TIINs) assessing the impacts of the 2025/26 and 2026/27 Air Passenger Duty (APD) rates, which can be found at GOV.UK: https://www...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGovia Thameslink Railway: FaresDepartment for TransportTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52050More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2025 to Question 44055 on Govia Thameslink Railway: Fares, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the annual increases in fares on service experience for pass
Answer: As much as we appreciate the impact of fares increases on passengers, we need to balance affordability for both passengers and taxpayers as we reform fares and deliver Great British Railways, ensuring everyone gets a fair deal. Delivering better quality s...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordScience and Technology: InvestmentDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52049More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department is taking to help encourage investment into science and technology companies that are based outside of (a) Oxford, (b) Cambridge and (c) London.
Answer: Increasing investment into science and technology firms across the UK will be critical to delivering growth.In 2023-24, UKRI invested £4,614 million outside the Greater Southeast; over half its total investment. Specific programme supporting regional inno...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHashem AbediMinistry of JusticeTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52048More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she plans to take to help prevent Hashem Abedi from endangering other people in prison.
Answer: HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) has a variety of methods to keep those who live and work in our prisons safe.We are reviewing how the attack happened, and the guidance shows we have suspended use of kitchens in separation centres and close super...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: Waiting ListsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52047More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled Crack teams get patients off waiting lists at twice the speed, published on 16 March 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of send
Answer: No assessment is currently planned regarding the potential impact of sending doctors into areas with the highest economic inactivity on waiting lists in the areas from which the doctors were seconded.As set out in the Elective Reform Plan, we continue to ...
Answered 20 May 2025
Original Parliament recordBeesDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52046More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of beekeeping practices on global food security.
Answer: Beekeepers are encouraged to adopt good beekeeping practices and there are also worldwide policies on controlling pests and diseases in honeybees. These actions will help to ensure healthy sustainable populations of honeybees which will support food produ...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordMotor Vehicles: Carbon EmissionsDepartment for TransportTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52045More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Zero Emissions Vehicle mandate on automotive manufacturing.
Answer: The Government recognises the importance of reviewing the impacts of this significant legislation. The Government has committed to publish reviews in 2027 and 2029 to assess the overall impact of the ZEV Mandate. The Government will continue to work with ...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordElectric Vehicles: ImportsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 13 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52044More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the potential impact of (a) manufacturing vehicles in and (b) importing vehicles from China on global carbon emissions.
Answer: The UK follows the agreed international approach for estimating and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, which is for countries to report emissions produced within their territori...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament record
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