Written questions

Blake Stephenson

1,538 written questions tabled, most recent first.

31 Mar 2025 · Treasury

Banking Hubs

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government has taken to achieve the target of 350 banking hubs since 5 July 2024.

31 Mar 2025 · Treasury

National Wealth Fund: Bedfordshire

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the expected contribution of the National Wealth Fund to economic growth in Bedfordshire between 4 July 2024 and 4 July 2029.

31 Mar 2025 · Treasury

Film: Business Rates

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2025 to Question 36218 on Film: Business Rates, if she will make an estimate of how many film studios have a rateable value of less than £500,000.

31 Mar 2025 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Environment Protection: Planning

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Questions (a) 36880, (b) 36881, (c) 36882, (d) 36883 and (e) 36884, when he plans to conclude this work; and if he will publish the results.

31 Mar 2025 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Environment Protection: Planning

31 Mar 2025 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Rights of Way: Rivers

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 35439 on Forests and Rivers: Access, what the options under consideration are for the East of England’s National River Walk.

31 Mar 2025 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Rights of Way: Rivers

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 35439 on Forests and Rivers: Access, when he expects to confirm the National River Walk for the East of England.

31 Mar 2025 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Inland Waterways: East of England

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Water investment to unlock growth in East of England, published on 13 March 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potenti

31 Mar 2025 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Floods: Insurance

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will have discussions with (a) insurance companies and (b) the Association of British Insurers on the sharing of data on surface water flood claims with the Environment Agency.

31 Mar 2025 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Construction

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36228 on Housing: Construction, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing (a) a housing supply fore

31 Mar 2025 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

New Towns

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36225 on New Towns: Mid Bedfordshire, if she will make it her policy to inform Rt hon. and hon. Members of a new town proposal

31 Mar 2025 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Construction

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36221 on Housing: construction, whether she plans to issue guidance to local authorities on density.

31 Mar 2025 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Construction

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36223 on Housing: Construction, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits for policy-making of collecting that inf

31 Mar 2025 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

New Towns: Mid Bedfordshire

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2025 to Question 36227 on New Towns, whether any sites submitted as part of the call for evidence are in the Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

31 Mar 2025 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Local Government: Public Records

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2025 to Question 35438 on Tree Preservation Orders: Bedfordshire, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that locally held records l

31 Mar 2025 · Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

5G: Infrastructure

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of Net Neutrality Regulations in England on the rate at which new (a) 5G and (b) 5GSA infrastructure is rolled out.

31 Mar 2025 · Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

5G: Infrastructure

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the time taken for decisions on planning applications to be made on the rollout of new (a) 5G and (b) 5GSA infrastructure.

31 Mar 2025 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Local Government: Public Records

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for local record centres.

31 Mar 2025 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Planning: Information Sharing

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to increase levels of data sharing between developers and local authorities.

26 Mar 2025 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Private Education: Business Rates

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Impact Note on removal of eligibility of private schools for business rates charitable relief, published on 30 October 2024, for what reasons the Government

25 Mar 2025 · Department for Transport

Motor Vehicles: Dangerous Driving and Noise

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 35021 on Motor Vehicles: Dangerous Driving and Noise, if she will make an assessment of the potential connection between excessively noisy vehicles and danger

25 Mar 2025 · Department for Transport

East West Rail Line: Passengers

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an estimate of the number of passengers expected to interchange onto East-West Rail services at Cambridge South whose journeys began at London Stansted Airport in the next 12 months.

25 Mar 2025 · Department for Education

Mathematics: Mid Bedfordshire

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of proposed reductions in the funding for the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme on children in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

25 Mar 2025 · Department for Education

Special Educational Needs

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing children to attend specialist education settings in a different local authority to the one in which they reside.

25 Mar 2025 · Department for Education

Schools: Grants

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of equalising dedicated school grants for schools.

25 Mar 2025 · Department for Education

Pupils: Finance

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether children who attend school in a different local authority area to the one in which they reside are funded at the level of (a) the local authority their school is in or (b) the local authority where they

25 Mar 2025 · Treasury

Private Education: VAT

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to HMRC's policy paper entitled Private school fees — VAT measure, last updated on 15 November 2024, for what reasons the Government didn't model the potential impact of the policy on economic growth

25 Mar 2025 · Department for Education

Pupils: Bedfordshire

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the equity of per pupil school funding in Bedfordshire.

25 Mar 2025 · Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Broadband: Rural Areas

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department plans to take to help deliver gigabit broadband in rural villages of fewer than 200 houses.

24 Mar 2025 · Department for Transport

East West Rail Line

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of East West Rail on Thameslink services (a) from London to Bedford, (b) from Bedford to London, (c) northbound on the East Coast Main Line and (d) southbo

Source: official written-questions record.