Tag: Mark Hendrick

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when she has visited (a) women’s refugee shelters, (b) maternity units, (c) ante-natal groups and (d) women’s groups since 15 July 2014.

Caroline Dinenage

Since taking office as the Minister for Women and Equalities in May 2015, I have visited a variety of organisations, including:

• 30% Club
• Everywoman
• Minerva Women’s Centre
• Rights of Women
• The Equality and Diversity Forum
• WeAreTheCity
• Women’s Business Council
• Women’s Private Equity Network

I have also hosted a number of meetings within my department with women’s organisations. These will be published online at www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministers-quarterly-returns-2015 as part of the quarterly returns.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-12-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2015 to Question 18492, what assessment he has made of the level of compliance in magistrates’ and crown courts with the procedures set out in that Answer for seeking confirmation of defendants’ income.

Mr Shailesh Vara

It is a judicial decision to seek evidence of a defendant’s income and means to pay. Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) does not record data on the number of instances where this information is required or provided.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans his Department has to update planning guidance on using money from Section 106 agreements to fund flood prevention projects.

Brandon Lewis

The Government is investing in flood protection at record levels, with an unprecedented 6-year commitment of £2.3 billion in more than 1,500 projects to better protect an additional 300,000 homes by 2021.

National planning policy is designed to protect people and property from flooding. Local planning authorities are expected to avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding by directing development away from areas at highest risk. In addition government guidance is clear that policies for seeking section 106 planning obligations should be set out in Local Plans or neighbourhood plans to enable fair and open testing of the policies at examination.

Mitigation measures to make development acceptable in flood risk areas can be made a requirement of any planning consent. All local planning authorities are expected to follow the strict tests set out in national planning policy and guidance. Where these tests are not met, national policy is very clear that new development should not be allowed.

The Government’s preferred approach for enabling developer contributions to infrastructure is the Community Infrastructure Levy, which is faster and more transparent than individually negotiated section 106 agreements. The Levy can fund infrastructure requirements where they are most needed across an area. Legislation and Government guidance specifies that flood defences form part of the infrastructure that can be funded in this way. More than 100 authorities currently charge the Levy and well over 100 more have made substantive progress towards doing so.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-03-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people using the Chorlton Benefit Delivery Centre required a mandatory reconsideration of funeral payments in each month in 2015; and how many of the decisions on those reconsiderations were in the claimant’s favour.

Justin Tomlinson

The information requested is not available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-07-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many abortions (a) overall and (b) where Downs syndrome had been identified were carried out at each (i) NHS hospital, (ii) clinic and (iii) surgery in Lancashire in 2016.

Nicola Blackwood

Data for 2016 is not yet available.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to identify properties in Preston that are vulnerable to flooding; and what (a) funding has been allocated and (b) work is being done to protect such properties.

Dr Thérèse Coffey

The Environment Agency has undertaken detailed flood modelling for the Preston area and properties at flood risk are shown on the Environment Agency’s flood map (available on GOV.UK), additional modelling to refine this after the December 2015 flooding is ongoing and expected to be completed in early 2017.

The full cost of a flood defence scheme for the Preston and South Ribble area is £32 million. The Government has allocated £17 million in the current flood risk capital programme to this scheme. The Environment Agency is currently working with partners to explore opportunities to secure an additional £15 million, to address the remaining shortfall. The scheme is scheduled to commence in 2019 and will provide new and improved defences which will reduce flood risk to 3000 residential and 600 commercial properties.

The new Preston and South Ribble flood risk scheme is the main focus of the work that is being done to protect property. However, a number of smaller projects were also completed after the December 2015 flood events including repairs to flood walls at Walton-le-Dale, removal of a fallen tree and repairs to defences at Broadgate and repairs to defences at the Capitol Centre.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Written Statement of 16 July 2015 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Cabinet Office, HCWS 127, on individual electoral registration, how much of the funding referred to in that statement has been allocated to each electoral registration office in England.

John Penrose

In total 103 Local Authorities in England are receiving additional funding to help target their remaining carry forward entries. Almost £570,000 of funding was allocated directly to 53 English authorities where carry forward entries accounted for over 5%, as a proportion of their registers, in May 2015. 59 Local Authorities in England, including 9 which had already received a direct allocation, successfully submitted bids for additional funding, sharing just over £450,000.

The attached table sets out all 103 English authoritieswhich are receiving additional funding directly and those whhich submitted successful bids along with the total amount they are receiving.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-11-27.

To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps each Anglican church in the Diocese of Blackburn is taking to assist Syrian refugees.

Mrs Caroline Spelman

The Diocese of Blackburn is working alongside other dioceses of the Church of England and local faith communities to coordinate their response to assist Syrian refugees. Churches in the diocese have been advised of the type of assistance that can most usefully be offered, working in conjunction with local authorities and other faith communities.

The three bishops of the Diocese of Blackburn were amongst the signatories to the letter from Church of England bishops to the Prime Minister, which welcomed the commitment of the Government to provide aid and resettlement, while calling on it to resettle substantially more than 20,000, and made clear the Church’s commitment to help in that task.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2015-12-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to schools on meetings for prayer or religious instruction for pupils during break times.

Edward Timpson

Collective worship plays an important role in schools. It encourages children to reflect on belief, and helps shape fundamental British values of tolerance, respect and understanding for others. Parents can choose to withdraw their children from all or any part of collective worship.

The Department does not issue guidance to schools specifically on the provision of meetings for prayer or religious instruction for pupils during break times.

The Department does publish guidance on collective worship; it is for governing bodies to decide how best to meet the requirements of that guidance and the relevant legislation, which can be found online at GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/281929/Collective_worship_in_schools.pdf

“

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Hendrick on 2016-01-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women in Preston constituency who were born in November 1954 have been notified of changes in the age at which they will receive the state pension; and when his Department notified each such person.

Justin Tomlinson

We do not have the information requested at this level.

I can confirm that in February 2012, 375,000 letters explaining the State Pension age changes were sent to men and women (across Great Britain and Overseas) with a date of birth in the range 06/10/1954 to 05/04/1955.