Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the business rates system on pub closures.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are creating a fairer business rates system that protects the high street, supports investment, and is fit for the 21st century.
From 2026-27, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties with rateable values below £500,000, which will benefit almost all pubs in England. We will confirm the rates for these new multipliers at Budget 2025, taking account of the outcomes of the 2026 revaluation as well as the broader economic and fiscal context.
Until these new tax rates are introduced, in 2025-26, RHL businesses will receive a 40 per cent relief on their eligible properties up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business. Under the previous Government, RHL relief was due to end entirely in April 2025. By extending the relief, the Government has saved the average pub, with a ratable value of £16,800, over £3,300.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities will be required to provide funding towards infrastructure for New Towns.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
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.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make it his policy to create a single public reporting service for problems at (a) local and (b) national government level.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
This Government is determined to reforming the state to deliver high quality public services and better value for money for the taxpayer.
The Government recognises the importance of transparency of public services, that appropriate feedback mechanisms help to ensure accountability by identifying and resolving problems, and that public participation can help to improve future service design to meet the needs of end users. The Service Manual provides guidance on creating and running public services in accordance with the Service Standards, both of which are available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Moroccan counterpart on ensuring human rights for the Sahrawi people.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to the promotion and protection of human rights globally, including in Morocco and Western Sahara. Officials, including up to Ambassador level regularly engage on these issues with the Moroccan Government and authorities accordingly.
In the UK-Morocco joint communiqué, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation on human rights, our support for the principle of respect for self-determination and the intention to hold a third session of the UK-Morocco Human Rights dialogue before the end of 2025. It also expressed our shared conviction to renew efforts to support the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General in the search for a solution to the Western Sahara conflict, underlining that the only viable and durable solution will be one that is mutually acceptable to the relevant parties, and is arrived at through compromise. We welcome Morocco's stated commitment to further detail and willingness to engage in good faith with all relevant parties, to expand on details of what autonomy within the Moroccan State could entail for the region, with a view to restarting serious negotiations on terms acceptable to the parties.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Egyptian counterpart on the seizure of St. Catherine’s Monastery.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government recognises St Catherine's Monastery's historical and religious importance and tracks this long-standing land ownership dispute. Our Embassy in Cairo participated in discussions with the Egyptian Government on this issue on 30 May. We will continue to engage on issues of heritage protection and religious freedoms.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will publish any assessment that National Highways have made of the flooding of the A421 at Marston Moreteyne in September 2024.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As the Lead Local Flood Authority, Central Bedfordshire Council are producing a Section 19 report to review the flooding that occurred on the A421 in accordance with the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
With publication of the report expected in autumn, National Highways (NH) is awaiting the outcome to make any necessary improvements.
In the meantime, given the significance of the issue affecting the A421, National highways are building a new £1.5million pumping station on higher ground to prevent this happening again.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the planned re-organisation of the BLMK ICB with (a) Hertfordshire and (b) Cambridgeshire & Peterborough on the provision of GP services in Wixams.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The clustering of integrated care boards (ICBs) in Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes (BLMK), and Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is not expected to have a direct impact on primary care provision. ICBs will remain responsible for ensuring adequate primary care provision for the communities they serve. There are exploratory discussions underway between the BLMK ICB, the Central Bedfordshire Council, the developer of Wixams Town Centre, and Bedford Borough Council regarding options for delivering permanent healthcare provision in Wixams. These discussions are ongoing.
As the plans for ICB reconfiguration progress, there remains a focus on place-based working and maintaining strong relationships with local partners.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that ICBs effectively represent small and rural communities, in the context of the re-organisation of ICBs.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has asked the integrated care boards (ICBs) to act primarily as strategic commissioners of health and care services and to reduce the duplication of responsibilities within the health and care structure. ICBs are responsible for commissioning health and care services for every person within their locality, including people from small and rural communities. We expect ICBs to continue delivering on all of their statutory responsibilities for all of their residents, including those from small and rural communities.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether ICBs will be expected to fund redundancy costs from re-organisation from their day-to-day budgets.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the abolition of NHS England, we are clear on the need for a smaller centre, as well as reducing integrated care board running costs and National Health Service provider corporate costs, in order to reduce waste and bureaucracy. Good progress is being made, with the Department and NHS England having announced voluntary exit or redundancy schemes.
We have recently announced the Spending Review settlement which provides an additional £29 billion of annual day to day spending in real terms by 2028/29, compared to 2023/24. Ahead of asking the NHS to commence a multi-year planning round, we are now carefully reviewing how the settlement is prioritised, including making provision for redundancy costs.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled NHS leaders face both ‘carrot and stick’ in new performance drive, published on 15 May 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the provision to not implement pay rises on equal pay in the NHS.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care accepted the headline pay recommendations for National Health Service staff from the independent pay review bodies, and staff will receive their backdated pay uplifts from August
The Department conducted an equality impact assessment of the new pay framework for very senior managers (VSMs), which includes the provision to withhold pay uplifts for VSMs working in underperforming organisations, defined as the organisations placed in segment five of the new NHS Oversight Framework.
It found that, overall, the proposal to withhold pay uplifts for VSMs in segments five is not expected to result in a statistically significant difference in relation to protected characteristics. As VSMs are not employed on national contracts, local remuneration committees will be required to assess the impact on equalities in relation to decisions on pay at an organisation level.