Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration she has given to the potential impact of chemical approvals for drone technology on British food security.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the potential of agricultural drone technology to support more efficient, sustainable and productive farming practices, which can in turn contribute to food security in the UK.
Defra works closely with relevant regulators, including the Civil Aviation Authority and the Health and Safety Executive, to ensure that the regulatory framework governing drone use is proportionate, risk-based and enables innovation while maintaining high standards of safety, environmental protection and public confidence.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration she has given to the potential impact of the regulatory environment for agricultural drone technology on British food security.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government recognises the potential of agricultural drone technology to support more efficient, sustainable and productive farming practices, which can in turn contribute to food security in the UK.
Defra works closely with relevant regulators, including the Civil Aviation Authority and the Health and Safety Executive, to ensure that the regulatory framework governing drone use is proportionate, risk-based and enables innovation while maintaining high standards of safety, environmental protection and public confidence.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason her Department does not allow remote testing for the Life in the UK test.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Remote testing was not explored as part of the current contract and therefore not available to current candidates. The upcoming commercial exercise to reprocure services for the Life in the UK test will explore alternative delivery models. We are currently engaging the market and experts for the most secure, customer focussed and cost-effective service available.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help tackle the Croydon bottleneck on Thameslink and Southern services.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The previous government took the decision to cancel the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme, which was focussed on tackling the Croydon bottleneck. My department is working with Network Rail and operators to improve the performance of Southern and Thameslink services.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a new station at Stewartby will be built prior to 2031.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
As set out in its latest public consultation, the East West Rail Company will deliver a new, fully accessible station at Stewartby by the early 2030s. Further details on the station’s opening and the introduction of services will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the decision to remove remote testing for the LSAT by the US Government.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The LSAT is an admissions test administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), an independent US organisation. Decisions relating to the format and delivery of the LSAT, including any changes to remote testing, are a matter for LSAC and the relevant US authorities, and do not fall within the remit of the UK Government.
The Honourable Member may therefore wish to raise this matter directly with LSAC or the appropriate authorities in the United States.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of the subsidisation of visa fees for certain high skilled visa applications.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As part of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, the Department for Business and Trade launched the ‘Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups’ on 10 June. This targeted grant scheme - worth up to £25K for around 50 businesses a year - will help UK scale-ups in priority sectors Clean Energy, Life Sciences and Digital & Technologies to recruit internationally by reimbursing eligible visa application fees. This scheme supports access to exceptional skills, boost competitiveness and reinforce the UK as a place for ambitious businesses to start, scale and stay. Officials assessed the scheme’s value for money, deliverability, targeting and safeguards for public funds. In 2024,scale-ups contributed £1.65 trillion in revenue (excluding financial services) to the UK economy and employed 6.1 million people (including FS), despite making up just 1.4% of the total business population, underlining their importance to growth. The Department for Business and Trade is doing more than just subsidisation. On 10 June, a new scheme was launched for a sponsor licence fast-track referral process for UK expansion worker visa.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what alternative options he considered to the subsidisation of fees for certain high skilled visa applications.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As part of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, the Department for Business and Trade launched the ‘Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups’ on 10 June. This targeted grant scheme - worth up to £25K for around 50 businesses a year - will help UK scale-ups in priority sectors Clean Energy, Life Sciences and Digital & Technologies to recruit internationally by reimbursing eligible visa application fees. This scheme supports access to exceptional skills, boost competitiveness and reinforce the UK as a place for ambitious businesses to start, scale and stay. Officials assessed the scheme’s value for money, deliverability, targeting and safeguards for public funds. In 2024,scale-ups contributed £1.65 trillion in revenue (excluding financial services) to the UK economy and employed 6.1 million people (including FS), despite making up just 1.4% of the total business population, underlining their importance to growth. The Department for Business and Trade is doing more than just subsidisation. On 10 June, a new scheme was launched for a sponsor licence fast-track referral process for UK expansion worker visa.
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, when he intends to publish the National Planning Policy Framework.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. The consultation can be found here.
We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will make it her policy to bring Schedule 3 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 into force.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is strongly committed to improving the implementation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS). We have consulted on a revised version of the National Planning Policy Framework, with new policies on local plans and national decision making, including flood risk and SuDS, and are now in the process of considering next steps. (For information – consultation).
Better delivery of SuDS may be achieved by continuing to improve the current planning policy-based approach and looking at ways of improving the approach to adoption and maintenance, rather than commencing Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
We have consulted on proposals to increase the adoption of estate amenities on new development, including SuDS, and are now considering next steps, and producing guidance to advise on how appropriate arrangements can be made to ensure the lifetime maintenance of SuDS (for information – consultation).