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 1,181–1,200 of 1,536 · this parliament
If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of planned housing developments in Bedfordshire on Thameslink services.
Any assessment on the impacts of housing developments on public transport is a matter for local partners through development of their local plans.
Pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2025 to Question 27313 on Private Education: Special Educational Needs, if she will make a separate assessment for SEN pupils.
HM Treasury has published a tax information and impact note on applying VAT to independent school fees, which includes pupils with special educational needs.
If she will make an estimate of waiting times for visas on (a) the super priority service and (b) other processes.
As outlined on GOV.UK, using the ‘super priority service’ for visa and settlement applications means a decision is usually made by the end of the next working day.Using the ‘priority service’ means a decision is usually made within 5 working days, or 30 working days for Family visa applications from outside the UK.If there is a delay, for example due to the information provided not being accurate or further evidence being required, the customer will be notified of this within the current processing times.Visa processing times are published on the UKVI website at Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK and Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK.
If she will make an estimate of the number of fast-tracked passport applications taking longer than one week.
The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
If she will make an estimate of the number of teachers employed in state schools in (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26.
Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers employed in state-funded schools, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication. This publication is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.As of November 2023, the latest date for which data are available, there were 468,693 full-time equivalent teachers employed in state-funded schools in England.Figures for the 2024/25 academic year will be published in June 2025 at the link above.Each year, the department calculates the number of trainees needed via postgraduate initial teacher training to meet future teacher demand. As part of these calculations, the department’s model makes a short-term estimate of future teacher numbers required. The most recently published version, that makes such estimates for 2023/24 and 2024/25 respectively, is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets-2024-to-2025.An updated version, for 2025/26 recruitment targets will be published later this year.
If she will make an estimate of the number of passport applications taking longer than three weeks.
The information you have requested is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/passports-and-citizenship-data-q4-2024.
If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of waiting times at the Passport Office.
His Majesty’s Passport Office consistently exceeds the performance indicator for its standard service within the UK, with over 98.5% of customers receiving their passport within three weeks where no further information is required.Information about the performance of HM Passport Office can be found within the latest transparency data release, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/passports-and-citizenship-data-q4-2024.
Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of apprenticeship levy reforms on Chartered Town Planner Level 7 Apprenticeships.
I refer the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire to the answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23140.
Pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2025 to Question 24312 on Health Services: Pensioners, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of holding that data centrally.
The Department does not intend to collect this data. Annual budgets given to integrated care boards cover most National Health Service spending. The allocations process uses a statistical formula to make geographic distribution fair and objective, so that it reflects local healthcare need, including demand for services during the winter period. In addition, there are no plans to link NHS activity data to data on whether an individual is drawing a pension.
Communities and Local Government, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of green space maintenance standards by developers after the construction of new housing developments.
National design guidance supports the National Planning Policy Framework and emphasises the importance of considering management and maintenance regimes, including for open and public spaces, from the early stages of the design process, set out in a management plan.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, which statutory consultees she plans to consult on removing.
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).
Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29193 on Hospitality Industry: Employment, whether her Department has done a sector specific analysis of the projected impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on employment in hospitality.
The Government has taken a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances and fund public services.The Government has set out the impacts of the policy changes from Autumn Budget 2024 in the usual way.For example, a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.As set out previously, the Office for Budget Responsibility also published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO), which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances.
Pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28608 on Employers' Contributions: Public Sector, whether the funding provided will offset the full impact.
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government set aside funding to support the public sector with the additional cost of employer National Insurance Contributions. This support funding amounts to £4.7 billion in 2025-26, inclusive of Barnett consequentials. This funding was based on an estimate of the proportion of employer NICs receipts paid by public sector organisations, using the Office for National Statistics (ONS) classification of the public sector boundary. This funding has since been allocated to departments and other public sector employers, with shares based on data covering headcount, wage and salary costs, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way. The Government plans to publish the allocations for departments alongside departmental budgets for 2025/26 as part of Mains estimates.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 February 2025 to Question 29957 on Bank Services and Banking Hubs, if her Department will direct the Financial Conduct Authority to require the creation of banking hubs in new towns without banking services.
Banking has changed significantly in recent years with many customers benefiting from the ease and convenience of remote banking. However, the Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking to communities and high streets in new towns and across the UK and is committed to championing sufficient access for all as a priority. This is why the Government is working closely with industry to roll out 350 banking hubs across the UK. The UK banking sector has committed to deliver these hubs by the end of this Parliament. Over 220 hubs have been announced so far, and over 135 are already open. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 granted the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) the responsibility and powers to seek to ensure the reasonable provision of cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. Under the FCA’s regime, LINK, the operator of the UK’s largest ATM network, is responsible for undertaking access to cash assessments. When a cash access facility such as a bank branch closes, or if LINK receives a request directly from a community, including in new towns, LINK independently assesses a community’s access to cash needs and can recommend a new service, such as a banking hub. A community request can be submitted to LINK via its website. Alternative options to access everyday banking services can be via telephone banking, through digital means such as mobile or online banking and via the Post Office.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, whether there will be a dedicated statutory consultee assessing the potential impact of development on historic (a) parks, (b) gardens and (c) designed landscapes following the removal of the Gardens Trust.
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).
Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to support university-partnered venture capital investment companies outside the Oxford, Cambridge and London triangle; and whether Ministers in his Department have met with those companies.
The Government is committed to driving innovation and economic growth across the UK. DSIT Ministers regularly meet with investors in science and technology sectors. Research England’s Connecting Capabilities Fund (CCF) has supported university collaborations, leading to the Northern Gritstone and Midlands Mindforge venture capital funds, and the Northern Accelerator. Innovate UK’s Investor Partnerships programme supports investors like Northern Gritstone and Qantx with R&D funding for their companies. The government supports venture capital through tax reliefs such as the Enterprise Investment Scheme and programmes from the British Business Bank who are an investor in Northern Gritstone. Government continues to assess opportunities to strengthen the UK’s leadership in innovation-led investment.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the removal of Sport England as a statutory consultee on new sports facilities.
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Bureaucratic burden lifted to speed up building in growth agenda, published on 10 March 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of removing the Theatres Trust as a statutory consultee on the creative industries.
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 10 March 2025 (HCWS510).
Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the Forest of Marston Vale community forest to the south.
Any assessment of the potential merits of expanding the Forest of Marston Vale would be made by the Forest of Marston Vale Trust and its local partners. This is one of a national network of fifteen Community Forests funded by Defra to plant thousands of hectares of new trees and woodland. Suitable sites for woodland creation are identified within agreed boundaries that encompass 61 square miles between Bedford and Milton Keynes.
Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of hectares of forestry land that will be made available for energy generation, in the context of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
The forestry renewables measure, announced as part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, aims to integrate renewable energy into our natural landscape. Provisions will be in place to ensure that renewable energy developments on forestry land are not at the expense of our natural environment. Forestry England’s general duty to promote the interests of forestry and development of afforestation, as set out by the Forestry Act, will be unchanged. The Public Forest Estate comprises a mixture of woodland and non-woodland areas. Only projects at suitable locations within the Public Forest Estate will be taken forward to deliver energy generation projects. Renewable energy developments will be subject to the planning process which will include environmental screening, surveys, and mitigation measures on any potential impacts on landscapes and ecology. The estimated footprint of these projects will be relatively small, and we expect no net loss of woodland area.