Blake Stephenson MP: written questions
1633 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Pensioners: Income TaxTreasuryTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46985More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners who will be paying income tax in the 2029-30 financial year.
Answer: HMRC publishes the number of income tax payers by age. An estimate of the number of individuals of state pension age who are income taxpayers in financial year 2024/25 can be found in Table 2.1 of the income tax statistics and distributions collection pub...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordPensioners: Income TaxTreasuryTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46984More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners who paid income tax in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answer: HMRC publishes the number of income tax payers by age. An estimate of the number of individuals of state pension age who are income taxpayers in financial year 2024/25 can be found in Table 2.1 of the income tax statistics and distributions collection pub...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTechnical Excellence Colleges: BedfordshireDepartment for EducationTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46983More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.72 of the Spring Statement 2025, whether any of the Technical Excellence Colleges will be in Bedfordshire.
Answer: The department can confirm that there will be at least one construction Technical Excellence College for the East of England region but cannot confirm exactly where in the region it will be based, at this stage. Further information on Technical Excellence...
Answered 2 May 2025
Original Parliament recordGambling: TaxationTreasuryTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46982More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to line items 24 and 25 on p.33 of the Spring Statement, for what reason the levy revenue used is greater than the levy revenue generated.
Answer: As set out in the Policy Costings document, published at Spring Statement, the costing is calculated by applying the levy rates to forecasted leviable Gross Gambling Yields for each licence type using data from the Gambling Commission Industry Statistics....
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46981More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press notice entitled PM tells councils to prove action on pothole plague to unlock extra cash and reveals £4.8 billion for major roads, published on 23 March 2025, if she will make an ass
Answer: In the first instance it will be up to local highway authorities to publish their progress reports on their own websites, as set out in the Department’s letter of 24 March to local authority chief executive officers which is available on gov.uk. The Depar...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRoads: Repairs and MaintenanceDepartment for TransportTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46980More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the press release entitled PM tells councils to prove action on pothole plague to unlock extra cash and reveals £4.8 billion for major roads, published on 23 March 2025, whether her Department
Answer: The additional costs to local highway authorities of complying with the Department’s new reporting requirements are likely to be minimal. The Department has made clear that it is looking for short reports in plain English, to be published on authorities’ ...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46979More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department plans to take with Great British Railways to reduce levels of disruption on railways.
Answer: GBR will be a directing mind, running the railways as one system, with a relentless focus on passengers. Track and train will be unified, creating a more efficient and reliable system meeting passenger and freight customers’ needs and ensuring value for t...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEast Coast Main Line: Welwyn Garden CityDepartment for TransportTabled 22 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46978More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the (a) Digswell Viaduct and (b) Welwyn North Station on levels of capacity on the East Coast Main Line.
Answer: An assessment of the impact of Digswell Viaduct and Welwyn North Station on capacity levels on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) was completed by Network Rail whilst developing the timetable that will be introduced on the ECML in December 2025. The Minister...
Answered 30 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordMembers: CorrespondenceDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46233More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 5 February 2025 from the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire on Swallowfield Primary School.
Answer: A response has been sent to the letter dated 5 February from the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire.
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordTechnical Excellence Colleges: FinanceDepartment for EducationTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46232More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.72 on page 29 of the Spring Statement 2025, whether the funding will deliver 10 colleges per region or 10 colleges in total.
Answer: At the Spring Statement, this government committed £100 million to establish 10 new Technical Excellence Colleges specialising in construction across every region in England and to further build capacity to boost the provision of skills in construction. T...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British RailwaysDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46231More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Great British Railways will consider housing growth in capacity planning.
Answer: An integrated, affordable and sustainable transport network plays a vital role in unlocking homes and providing access to jobs and essential services. Great British Railways (GBR) will work closely with the Department for Transport, MHCLG and other govern...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: StandardsDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46230More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35856 on Railways: Standards, which stations in (a) England and (b) Bedfordshire are most impacted by cancelling stops to make services run faster; and on how
Answer: Data on cancellations is published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on their data portal which can be accessed here: https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/performance/passenger-rail-performance/Data showing the punctuality of trains at individual s...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGovia Thameslink Railway: BedfordDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46229More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35855 on Govia Thameslink Railway: Standards, what information her Department holds on when Great British Railways plans to publish provisional (a) timetables
Answer: The Government will establish a new access and charging framework in primary legislation, enabling Great British Railways to be a true directing mind for the railway. We will simplify the operational running of the railways by bringing together responsibi...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordThameslink Line: TempsfordDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46228More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed (a) railway station and (b) new town at Tempsford on (i) journey times and (ii) capacity on Thameslink services.
Answer: Network Rail will consider the impact of any new station at Tempsford as part of business case development for any East Coast Main Line infrastructure investment at the southern end of the route, including journey time and capacity implications for Thames...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAffordable Housing: BedfordshireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46227More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled £2 billion new investment to support biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation, published on 25 March 2025
Answer: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 44049 on 22 April 2025.
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHousing: BedfordshireMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46226More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Public land unlocked for the next generation of homeowners, published on 27 March 2025, whether any of the land will be in Bedfordshi
Answer: The Secretary of State for Defence has identified a long-term opportunity to build over 100,000 homes on surplus defence land, improving opportunities for homeownership and creating jobs across the country, while Network Rail has announced the establishme...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordConstruction: Employers' ContributionsDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46225More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37785 on Construction: Employers' Contributions, what estimate his Department has made of the (a) number of firms in the construction sector who will
Answer: The vast majority of firms in the construction sector are small or microbusinesses, which will see no change overall. The Government has protected small businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing ...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEnvironment Protection: BusinessDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46224More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing mandatory nature reporting on nature.
Answer: The government is committed to deliver for nature, taking action to meet our Environment Act targets, to restore and protect our natural world. Annual Progress reports on the Environmental Improvement Plan and the Outcome Indicator Framework assess progre...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFootball: SportsgroundsDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 17 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 46223More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she had made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of 3G football pitches on the environment.
Answer: The Government is aware of the potential impacts which 3G, or Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs), have on the environment. The most prominent of these impacts relates to the spread of rubber infill (also known as ‘rubber crumb’) - which contains harmful micr...
Answered 29 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordGovia Thameslink RailwayDepartment for TransportTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45214More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 35855 on Govia Thameslink Railway: Standards, whether the timetable referred to would reduce the number of services provided on a given line in some cases.
Answer: Currently all train operators are required to plan services and timetables designed to meet both current and future passenger demand, while also ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. In the future Great British Railways (GBR) will be accountable for ...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordLuton Airport: Thameslink LineDepartment for TransportTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45213More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed Luton Airport expansion on Thameslink services.
Answer: Luton Airport Parkway station is well served with up to eight Thameslink and two East Midlands Railway trains an hour to and from the station. Most passenger demand for the airport is either in the off-peak period or in the contra-peak direction, when tra...
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordEast West Rail Line: PassengersDepartment for TransportTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45212More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of East West Rail on passenger numbers on Thameslink services (a) from London to Bedford, (b) from Bedford to London, (c) northbound on the East Coast Main L
Answer: East West Rail Co. will be considering abstraction of passengers from other services as part of the Outline Business Case for East West Rail.
Answered 28 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordDerelict Land: RegenerationMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45211More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 36495 on Derelict Land: Regeneration, how this will be funded.
Answer: The £51.5 million regeneration package announced on 13 February 2025 will be funded through existing departmental budgets for brownfield remediation and regeneration.
Answered 22 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordFarmers: IncomeDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45210More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an estimate of what the median income of farmers was in the 2023-24 financial year who will be affected by the changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Prop
Answer: Assessing the impact of the new Inheritance Tax policy, which comes into force from 6 April 2026, relies on a number of factors such as ownership structure and debt levels. The Government is aware that each farm is different, and so we encourage farmers t...
Answered 25 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordInternal Drainage Boards: FinanceDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 8 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 45209More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release £16 million boost to improve flood protection for farmers and rural communities, published on 16 March 2025, what the additional funding will be for
Answer: The Internal Draining Board (IDB) Storm Recovery and Asset Improvement fund was established to help IDBs recover from flooding events over winter 2023/24 and to modernise their infrastructure.On 31 March, the Government announced an additional £16 million...
Answered 23 Apr 2025
Original Parliament record
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