Blake Stephenson MP: written questions
1633 published records · newest first.
Written questions
British Overseas TerritoriesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 22 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25785More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the inclusion of Overseas Territories in the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territori
Answer: The Government believes the UN Special Committee on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (Special Committee) is outdated, and that it no longer has a relevant role to play with respect to ...
Answered 30 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMonuments: TourismDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25406More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the owners of Scheduled Monuments on their potential role in British tourism.
Answer: Scheduled Monuments are extremely diverse and range from the 17th century Houghton House, which is managed by English Heritage, to Metchley Roman fort in Birmingham, much of which lies on private land. The Secretary of State regularly engages with heritag...
Answered 28 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordMonuments: TourismDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25405More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential contribution of Scheduled Monuments to the tourism industry.
Answer: We have made no such formal assessment, but many of the nearly 20,000 Scheduled Monuments in England, including Stonehenge, Appleby Castle and Barnard Castle, as well as those in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are important visitor attractions. We r...
Answered 29 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25404More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with President Trump about the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answer: The Foreign Secretary last spoke to President Trump in September, when they had a private dinner in New York with the Prime Minister. We do not disclose the details of private conversations. Regarding the future of Diego Garcia, it is right that the new U...
Answered 31 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordDiego Garcia: Military BasesForeign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeTabled 21 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 25403More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the annual difference between (a) the current cost of administering the British Indian Ocean Territory and (b) the proposed cost of leasing the
Answer: It is established practice not to publish payments made for overseas military bases.The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office provides funding to the BIOT Administration to help support the good governance of the Territory. In FY 23/24, the FCDO p...
Answered 30 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordChurches: TourismChurch CommissionersTabled 16 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24537More
Question: To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church is taking to support the tourism industry.
Answer: Churches, cathedrals and other historic sites are at the heart of England's cultural and spiritual heritage, attracting millions of visitors annually. The Church of England operates 16,000 churches and 42 cathedrals. Cathedrals alone add over 6,000 jobs ...
Answered 4 Feb 2025
Original Parliament recordConsumers: PensionersCabinet OfficeTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24313More
Question: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of trends in the level of consumer spending amongst pensioners in quarter four of (a) 2024 and (b) 2023.
Answer: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 15 January is attached.
Answered 23 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHealth Services: WeatherDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24312More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of NHS treatment for pensioners in winter (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2023-24.
Answer: The information requested is not held centrally.
Answered 24 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHospitals: AdmissionsDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24311More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of pensioners hospitalised in winter 2024-25.
Answer: Information on hospital admissions by pensioners, specifically, is not available. NHS England publishes information on admissions by age group, with the following table showing the latest data for those aged 65 years old and over:MonthAdmitted hospital at...
Answered 27 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPension Credit: ExpenditureDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24310More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the cost of new sign ups for Pension Credit between July and December 2024.
Answer: The latest data on Pension Credit applications and awards covers the period between 1 April 2024 and 17 November 2024 and is available here: Pension Credit applications and awards: November 2024 - GOV.UK. In the 16 weeks since the announcement on 29 July ...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHousehold Support Fund: PensionersDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24309More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of Household Support Fund funding allocated to pensioners in 2024-25.
Answer: The Department for Work and Pensions publishes Management Information on the Household Support Fund, including details on the proportion of funding spent on households with pensioners. The latest Management Information covering the scheme running from Apr...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordHousehold Support Fund: PensionersDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24308More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund in supporting pensioners in winter 2024-25.
Answer: The Department for Work and Pensions publishes Management Information on the Household Support Fund, including details on the proportion of funding spent on households with pensioners. The latest Management Information covering the scheme running from Apr...
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24307More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what target her Department set for the number of new sign ups to Pension Credit between July and December 2024.
Answer: No targets for new awards or applications have been set, but the Government wants everyone eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to. That’s why we have been taking significant steps to maximise...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPensioners: PovertyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24306More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of pensioners in poverty in winter (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2023-24.
Answer: Statistics on the number of people living in relative and absolute poverty both before and after housing costs are produced on an annual basis and published in the Households Below Average Income statistics. The latest available data covers financial year...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPension CreditDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24305More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people signed up for Pension Credit between July and December 2024.
Answer: Statistics on Pension Credit application volumes were published on 28 November 2024. This includes numbers of applications that were received, awarded and not awarded, up to 17 November 2024. Pension Credit applications and awards: November 2024 - GOV.UK ...
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPension Credit: Winter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24304More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners earning less than the Pension Credit threshold who did not receive winter fuel payment in winter 2024-25.
Answer: The Department does not yet have data on households who did not receive a Winter Fuel Payment in Winter 2024/25. The latest data on Winter Fuel Payment caseload is available here: Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK.
Answered 21 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPensioners: Winter Fuel PaymentDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24303More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners no longer eligible for winter fuel payment in winter 2024-25.
Answer: It is estimated that 9.2 million pensioners will lose their Winter Fuel Payments. This estimate was published in the OBR Economic and Fiscal Outlook
Answered 22 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordVisitor LevyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24302More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a transient visitor levy on the UK visitor economy.
Answer: Tax policy is a matter for HM Treasury and there are no plans to introduce a visitor levy in England. Levies either have been or are being introduced in Scotland, Wales and some English cities and DCMS continues to monitor their impact on the visitor econ...
Answered 24 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordVisitor LevyDepartment for Culture, Media and SportTabled 15 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 24301More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of a transient visitor levy on UK tourism.
Answer: Tax policy is a matter for HM Treasury and there are no plans to introduce a visitor levy in England. Levies either have been or are being introduced in Scotland, Wales and some English cities and DCMS continues to monitor their impact on the visitor econ...
Answered 24 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordWritten Questions: Government ResponsesLeader of the HouseTabled 9 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 23038More
Question: To ask the Leader of the House, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of recent answers to Written Questions in the context of improving transparency in Government.
Answer: Parliament has a right to hold Ministers to account. I have written to all members of Cabinet to remind Ministers of their responsibilities to provide helpful and timely responses to Members' PQs.The Procedure Committee regularly monitors individual depar...
Answered 17 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordEast West Rail Line: ConstructionDepartment for TransportTabled 7 Jan 2025AnsweredUIN 22408More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of constructing East-West Rail in 2024 prices.
Answer: £1.3bn has been provided towards the delivery of East West Rail Connection Stage 1 (CS1) which will provide services from Oxford to Bletchley and Milton Keynes. The capital cost estimate for Connection Stages 2 (Oxford-Bedford) and 3 (Oxford-Cambridge) is...
Answered 15 Jan 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Sector: Rural AreasDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled 12 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 901934More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the equality of access to public services in rural areas.
Answer: Public bodies, in exercising their statutory responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), consider the adequacy of equality of access to public services, including through the use of tools such as Equality Impact Assessments. We are alre...
Answered 18 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordAlternative FuelsDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 11 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19489More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to support off-grid properties to transition to clean fuels.
Answer: Currently, the Government’s Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) provides grants for energy efficiency measures and low carbon heating to low-income households living in the worst performing, off-grid homes in England. In September 2024, the Government announced a ne...
Answered 20 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordTrees: Urban AreasMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19117More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential role of (a) ancient and (b) veteran trees in place-making for (i) large-scale new towns and (ii) urban extensions.
Answer: The government is committed to delivering a new generation of new towns. We have made clear these must be well-connected, well-designed, sustainable and attractive places where people want to live and that they must have all the infrastructure, amenities ...
Answered 18 Dec 2024
Original Parliament recordTrees: Planning PermissionMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Dec 2024AnsweredUIN 19116More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of granting additional protections to (a) ancient and (b) veteran trees in planning policy.
Answer: Ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees are already strictly protected in national planning policy, while Tree Preservation orders safeguard individual trees or groups of trees of particular value. Local planning authorities have the principal resp...
Answered 18 Dec 2024
Original Parliament record
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