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Division Vote (Commons)
12 Nov 2024 - House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill - View Vote Context
Blake Stephenson (Con) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 89 Conservative Aye votes vs 0 Conservative No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 98 Noes - 376
Division Vote (Commons)
12 Nov 2024 - House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill - View Vote Context
Blake Stephenson (Con) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 90 Conservative Aye votes vs 0 Conservative No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 98 Noes - 375
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 11 Nov 2024
Rural Affairs

Speech Link

View all Blake Stephenson (Con - Mid Bedfordshire) contributions to the debate on: Rural Affairs
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 11 Nov 2024
Rural Affairs

Speech Link

View all Blake Stephenson (Con - Mid Bedfordshire) contributions to the debate on: Rural Affairs
Written Question
Private Education: Bedfordshire
Thursday 7th November 2024

Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of pupils in Bedfordshire who will leave the independent school system as a result of VAT on school fees.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has made no estimate of the number of pupils in Bedfordshire who will leave the independent school system as a result of VAT on school fees.

The government predicts that, in the long-run steady state, there will be 37,000 fewer pupils in the private sector in the UK as a result of the removal of the VAT exemption applied to school fees. This represents around 6% of the current private school population. This movement is expected to take place over several years.

Of the 37,000 pupil reduction in the private sector, the government estimates an increase of 35,000 pupils in the state sector in the steady state following the VAT policy taking effect, with the other 2,000 consisting of international pupils who do not move into the UK state system, and domestic pupils moving into homeschooling. This state sector increase represents less than 0.5% of total UK state school pupils, of which there are over 9 million. This movement is expected to take place over several years.

The impact on individual local authorities will interact with other pressures and vary. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide full-time education for all children of statutory school age in their area, suitable for their age, aptitude, ability and any special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The department works with local authorities to help them fulfil their duty to secure school places. Requirements for state-funded places for children that would have attended a private school will be addressed in each local authority through normal processes.

Division Vote (Commons)
6 Nov 2024 - Budget Resolutions - View Vote Context
Blake Stephenson (Con) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 102 Conservative No votes vs 0 Conservative Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 378 Noes - 116
Division Vote (Commons)
6 Nov 2024 - Budget Resolutions - View Vote Context
Blake Stephenson (Con) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 110 Conservative No votes vs 0 Conservative Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 400 Noes - 122
Division Vote (Commons)
6 Nov 2024 - Budget Resolutions - View Vote Context
Blake Stephenson (Con) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 108 Conservative No votes vs 0 Conservative Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 455 Noes - 125
Division Vote (Commons)
6 Nov 2024 - Budget Resolutions - View Vote Context
Blake Stephenson (Con) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 106 Conservative No votes vs 0 Conservative Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 383 Noes - 184
Division Vote (Commons)
6 Nov 2024 - Budget Resolutions - View Vote Context
Blake Stephenson (Con) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 103 Conservative No votes vs 0 Conservative Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 450 Noes - 120