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 1,261–1,280 of 1,536 · this parliament
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled New Towns Taskforce: Terms of Reference, published on 18 September 2024, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of New Towns Taskforce’s performance in engaging with (a) central government, (b) local government and (c) external stakeholders under paragraph 6(b) of those terms of reference.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Minister for Housing and Planning's oral contribution of 3 March 2025, Official Report, column 4, if she will set out the incentives her Department will offer to local authorities for new towns.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Minister for Housing and Planning's oral contribution of 3 March 2025, Official Report, columns 3 and 4, whether the New Towns Taskforce can recommend more than one new town in a local authority area.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 36088 on 14 March 2025.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Government unveils plans for next generation of new towns, published 13 February 2025, whether the £51.5m funding to increase regeneration and brownfield delivery is additional to funding outlined at the Autumn Budget 2024.
The £51.5 million package announced on 13 February 2025 is additional to the funding outlined at the Autumn Budget 2024.
With reference to her Department’s news story entitled, Lights, Camera, Action! 40% business rates relief for film studios rolled out, published on 16 February 2025, whether her announcement on film business rates of 16 February 2025 is in addition to fiscal measures outlined in Autumn Budget 2024.
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government announced that it intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27. This permanent tax cut will ensure that they benefit from much-needed certainty and support. The Government intends to fund this by introducing a higher multiplier on all properties, including film studios, with a rateable value (RV) of £500,000 and above.The Government has announced that it is proceeding with 40 per cent relief for eligible film studios in England on their gross business rates bills until March 2034. The costing was published at Spring Budget 2024.Business rates bills are calculated by applying the relevant multiplier first and so film studios will receive 40 per cent relief on their total liability.The Government will confirm the rates for the new multipliers at Budget 2025.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Government unveils plans for next generation of new towns, published on 13 February 2025, if she will publish a list of all proposals received.
The government has tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. The Taskforce will submit its final report this summer. As set out in its Terms of Reference, which can be found on gov.uk here, the New Towns Taskforce will work in partnership with local leaders and communities, but its selection of sites will be made in the national interest. Not least because construction of the next generation of new towns will only begin toward the end of this Parliament, the government has been clear that they will deliver over and above the targets produced by the standard method. However, we will make sure that the right incentives are in place to support proactive local authorities to work with us to bring new towns forward and will keep under review how the Taskforce’s forthcoming recommendations on new towns interact with housing targets across England. New towns will be well-connected, well-designed, environmentally sustainable, and attractive places where people want to live and have all the infrastructure, amenities and services necessary to sustain thriving communities, including a gold standard aim of 40% affordable and social housing, with an emphasis on social rent. As there may be political or commercial sensitivities to information submitted regarding prospective developments, the New Towns Taskforce will not be sharing information about the evidence base of locations prior to publication of the final report.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the amount of land in hectares which has an active planning permission.
The Department does not hold the information requested.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the number of houses that would be built if all active planning permissions were approved.
The Department does not hold the information requested.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an estimate of the number of homes expected to be built between July 2024 and July 2025.
The government do not routinely publish a supply forecast or projected profiles of housing delivery.Our Plan for Change includes an ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament. Progress will be measured through the number of net additional dwellings, and we will update Parliament in the usual manner.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the land use breakdown of (a) the average Parliamentary constituency, (b) Ashton-under-Lyne constituency, (c) Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton constituency, (d) Greenwich & Woolwich constituency, (e) Nottingham North & Kimberley constituency and (f) Bethnal Green & Stepney constituency.
The Department publishes an annual release entitled “Land use statistics: England”, which presents summary statistics showing how different land uses are distributed across England, as at 2022.This is broken down into regions, local authorities, and Parliamentary constituency level analysis, with constituency breakdowns available in Live Tables P404a (proportion) or P404b (hectarage) on gov.uk here.These proportions shown for England Live Table P404a can, in effect, also be regarded as the breakdown for the average English Parliamentary constituency.
Communities and Local Government, if she will make a comparative assessment of the cumulative housing target for (a) Tower Hamlets, (b) Broxtowe, (c) Nottingham, (d) Greenwich, (e) Oldham and (f) Tameside under (i) the new housing targets and (ii) the housing targets under the previous system.
The government published the revised standard method for assessing local housing need on 12 December 2024. This aligns with our ambition for 1.5 million new homes to be delivered over this parliament and better directs new homes to where they are most needed and least affordable. The new standard method supports a more strategic approach to housing growth, distributing growth across wider city regions, and not just to the largest urban authority within our largest cities, as was the case under the previous method. Further detail on the new standard method is set out in the government’s response to the proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system consultation and the revised Planning Practice Guidance on housing and economic needs assessments. These are available on gov.uk. Local housing need figures for each local authority and region arising from the revised standard method can be found here.
Communities and Local Government, what she expects the average density per hectare to be of housing developments built during this Parliament.
Development density is influenced by a range of factors, such as the type of land use, building types and form, and building heights. The National Design Guide and National Model Design Code provide guidance on these elements.Local Design Guides and Design Codes may set out densities or ranges of density, that take account of local context.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Government unveils plans for next generation of new towns, published on 13 February 2025, whether any of the proposals received cover Mid Bedfordshire constituency.
The government has tasked the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, with developing recommendations to ministers on suitable locations for new towns, as well as how to fund and deliver them. The Taskforce will submit its final report this summer. As set out in its Terms of Reference, which can be found on gov.uk here, the New Towns Taskforce will work in partnership with local leaders and communities, but its selection of sites will be made in the national interest. Not least because construction of the next generation of new towns will only begin toward the end of this Parliament, the government has been clear that they will deliver over and above the targets produced by the standard method. However, we will make sure that the right incentives are in place to support proactive local authorities to work with us to bring new towns forward and will keep under review how the Taskforce’s forthcoming recommendations on new towns interact with housing targets across England. New towns will be well-connected, well-designed, environmentally sustainable, and attractive places where people want to live and have all the infrastructure, amenities and services necessary to sustain thriving communities, including a gold standard aim of 40% affordable and social housing, with an emphasis on social rent. As there may be political or commercial sensitivities to information submitted regarding prospective developments, the New Towns Taskforce will not be sharing information about the evidence base of locations prior to publication of the final report.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's press release entitled Government unveils plans for next generation of new towns, published on 13 February 2025, if she will publish a list of the 350 sites stuck in the system referenced.
To date, ten sites with a combined capacity to deliver over 35,900 homes have been announced as benefitting from site-specific government support through the New Homes Accelerator. These are: Liverpool Central Docks, Northstowe, Worcestershire Parkway, Langley Sutton Coldfield, Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community, Stretton Hall, Biggleswade Garden Community, Beam Park, South of Cayton, and Frome Gateway.Through intensive engagement with other government departments and statutory consultees, the Accelerator, as a convener and broker, has also helped progress a number of other sites with the capacity to deliver more than 20,000 homes, including Cowley Hill in Liverpool and Wolborough in Devon.We are unable to provide information on other sites which were submitted as part of the call for evidence and that have not been publicly announced as that information was provided on a confidential basis.
Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Press Release Government unveils plans for next generation of new towns, published on 13 February 2025, if she will publish a list of the sites unlocked through the New Homes Accelerator.
To date, ten sites with a combined capacity to deliver over 35,900 homes have been announced as benefitting from site-specific government support through the New Homes Accelerator. These are: Liverpool Central Docks, Northstowe, Worcestershire Parkway, Langley Sutton Coldfield, Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community, Stretton Hall, Biggleswade Garden Community, Beam Park, South of Cayton, and Frome Gateway.Through intensive engagement with other government departments and statutory consultees, the Accelerator, as a convener and broker, has also helped progress a number of other sites with the capacity to deliver more than 20,000 homes, including Cowley Hill in Liverpool and Wolborough in Devon.We are unable to provide information on other sites which were submitted as part of the call for evidence and that have not been publicly announced as that information was provided on a confidential basis.
Pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2025 to Written Question 31113 on Stellantis: Luton, whether any agreements have been reached during discussions.
Ministers have engaged closely with Stellantis on the future of its operations in the UK.Regrettably, Stellantis confirmed on 5 February that it will be closing the plant in April of this year. We have a longstanding partnership with Stellantis and will continue to work closely with them, as well as trade unions and local partners on the next steps of their proposals.
Pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2025 to Question 30745 on National Highways: Flood Control, if she will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of providing additional funding to Internal Drainage Boards that wish to take on responsibility for Highways balancing ponds.
The ownership and management of National Highways’ assets, at this level, fall within National Highways’ delegated authority. The Department does not plan to make an assessment on the future ownership of balancing ponds owned by National Highways.
Whether her plans for Great British Railways will end the practice of cancelling stops to make services run faster once trains have set off.
The Government’s plans for rail reform will deliver an accountable and integrated public body, Great British Railways (GBR), which will take decisions on the use of the railway in the public interest and deliver Government priorities. GBR will plan and implement an achievable, reliable timetable, so that the services promised to passengers are delivered. Better coordination of the timetable will reduce delays, improve reliability and reduce costs. We understand that missing stops will be inconvenient, but sometimes it is the best way to quickly recover a reliable service for all users.
What plans her Department has to increase capacity on Thameslink services through its Great British Railways proposals.
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. Improving railway performance is a top priority for this Government. We have been clear with Govia Thameslink Railway, who operate Thameslink services, that we will not tolerate poor performance and will continue to hold them to account through a range of measures. The Government’s plans for rail reform will deliver an accountable and integrated public body, Great British Railways (GBR), which will take decisions on the use of the railway in the public interest and deliver Government priorities. GBR will plan and implement an achievable, reliable timetable, so that the services promised to passengers are delivered. Better coordination of the timetable will reduce delays, improve reliability and reduce costs.
Pursuant to the Answer of 14 February 2025 to Question 29571, if he will publish the results of the package of research.
Yes, the results of the package of research will be published in due course. The results will complement the research published in January 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defining-and-identifying-complex-to-decarbonise-homes.