Written questions by Stephenson.

When she plans to publish the Road Safety Strategy.

On 7 January 2026, we published our new Road Safety Strategy, setting out our vision for a safer future on our roads for all. The Strategy sets an ambitious target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on British roads by 65% by 2035. This target will focus the efforts of road safety partners across Britain, with measures to protect vulnerable road users, update vehicle safety technologies and review motoring offences. All of this will be supported and monitored by a new Road Safety Board chaired by the Minister for Local Transport.Road safety is a shared responsibility, and this strategy reflects that. It considers action needed by government, local authorities, industry, emergency services and communities to tackle the causes of collisions and save lives. By investing in infrastructure, education, and enforcement, we are taking decisive steps to make our roads safer for everyone.

What estimate she has made of the change in the level of taxation for the average pub between 2024 and 2029.

I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to UIN 101363.

Communities and Local Government, how many locations for new towns he plans to bring to development corporation stage by 2029.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether New Towns design codes will consider the usage of local materials.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

If he will impose a duty on the National Energy System Operator to inform hon. Members of connection applications in their constituencies.

Network connection applications are confidential to the parties involved before the point of a contract being signed, but details of generation and storage transmission connection agreements are published in the Transmission Entry Capacity Register TEC Register | National Energy System Operator. The equivalent for Interconnector projects is at Interconnector Register | National Energy System Operator.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of local authorities whose five year land supply is based on housing targets published in December 2024.

For the purpose of calculating their five-year housing land supply, local planning authorities with up-to-date local development plans are assessed against their adopted plan requirement. LPAs without up-to-date development plans are assessed against Local Housing Need, calculated using the revised standard method published in December 2024. While the Planning Inspectorate may be aware of an authority’s five-year housing land supply position at the time of a specific appeal, this may change over time due to annual updates or as a result of subsequent planning appeal decisions. As such, my Department does not collect live data on the five-year housing land supply position of individual local planning authorities.

Communities and Local Government, how many school places per head he is targeting for new towns.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the proportion of the Tempsford New Town that will be in Central Bedfordshire Council.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled £84 million injection to tackle homelessness, updated on 10 October 2025, what the allocations are for each local authority.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 82789 on 27 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Milton Keynes New Town recommended by the New Towns Taskforce will include any areas in Central Bedfordshire Council.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 64580 on New Towns Taskforce, whether he has had discussions with the Chair of the independent New Towns Taskforce on the reasons for the publication of the Taskforce's report after the expected date of summer 2025.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, if he will discuss with the Chair of the New Towns Taskforce the potential merits of the publishing the sites that it considered but did not recommend for new towns.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the Social and Affordable Housing Programme will be spent in new towns.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

With reference to the press release entitled NHS to invest in pioneering tech to drive down waiting lists, published on 26 September 2025, if he will monitor value for money and return on investment.

The Department is developing Value Based Procurement Standard Guidance to ensure greater consistency in National Health Service procurement and shift decisions towards value and outcomes over unit cost.13 NHS trusts, covered by nine procurement teams are piloting the guidance prior to its publication and national rollout across the NHS in 2026.NHS trusts have established governance processes to monitor value for money and return on investment in line with Government policy. The guidance will support NHS procurement teams to do this with information on best practice for setting key performance indicators, baselining, and contract management.

Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have up-to-date Local Plans.

The latest available figures show that only 27% of local planning authorities have adopted a plan in the last five years. In order to deliver the homes and growth the country needs, we expect all local planning authorities to make every effort to get up-to-date local plans in place as soon as possible. As a government, we have made a clear commitment to achieving universal local plan coverage. To that end, we have been clear that we intend to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible. The government is committed to taking tough action to ensure local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. The law provides intervention powers for the government to take action to ensure that plans are progressed. Any decisions taken in relation to intervention in plan-making are considered on a case-by-case basis and take into account local circumstances.

Whether her Department monitors divorce filings to check visa compliance for family visa holders.

Family migration must be based on a genuine and subsisting relationships. The current probationary period before a spouse or partner can apply for settlement is a minimum of 5 years and requires more than one grant of permission to enter or stay to test whether a relationship is genuine and continuing to subsist.If the marriage or partnership breaks down permanently while the migrant partner still has limited permission to stay, or once the migrant partner has obtained settlement, the sponsoring partner can write to the Home Office and provide any information relevant to the migrant partner’s continued immigration status.The Home Office will consider this information and may cancel the former partner’s permission or revoke any settled status if it can be established this permission was obtained by deception.

Communities and Local Government, if his Department will ask the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to vary local authorities' boundaries where they would be spanned by a new town.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether the New Towns Taskforce consulted flooding experts.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has considered the potential implications for his policies of paragraph 31 of page 8 of the New Towns Taskforce report to Government.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the chapter Planning for local Housing Need in his Department’s response to the New Towns Taskforce entitled Initial government response - September 2025, whether local housing targets for areas containing a new town may be reduced.

I refer the hon. Member to the independent New Towns Taskforce final report as well as the government’s initial response to it. Both can be found on gov.uk here.