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UN Relief and Works Agency

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli Government concerning the incident involving Peter Hansen, Director General of the UN Relief and Works Agency, when he was delivering food supplies to Beit Hanoun. [185440]

Mr. Rammell: We are concerned at the continuing levels of violence in the Occupied Territories and the resulting humanitarian impact. We have urged the Israeli Government to ensure aid agencies are able to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian population. We have made clear our concern at actions which constitute excessive use of force and result in the injury and death of civilians. We have made no specific representations about the incident involving Peter Hansen.
 
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US Senate Intelligence Committee Report

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to evaluate the content and conclusions of the United States Senate Intelligence Committee report on the US Intelligence Community's Prewar Intelligence Assessments on Iraq, published on 9 July, in so far as they are relevant to the United Kingdom policies on intelligence. [184384]

Mr. Straw: This is a matter for the US authorities.

Vietnam

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Vietnam concerning the arrests of (a) Nguyen Hieu Nghia, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Pham Ngoc Thach and Nguyen Van Phuong on 2 March in Ho Chi Minh City, (b) Le Thi Hong Lien on 3 July in Ho Chi Minh City, (c) Ly Chin Sang, Ly Sin Quang, Vang Chin Sang and Vang My Ly in late 2003 and now in prison and (d) Father Nguyen Van Ly in 2001 and serving a five year sentence; and what representations he has made concerning (i) the treatment of Nguyen Thanh Nhan and Pham Ngoc Thach when they were detained in police stations and (ii) the conditions in prison for Christians. [185065]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: With EU partners, we participate in a regular EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue with Vietnam. The last meeting, attended by our ambassador in Hanoi, was held on 22 June. Freedom of religion and the plight of unlicensed Christian groups were among the issues raised by the EU. We also raised our concerns regarding fair trials and prison conditions in Vietnam.

The EU maintains a list of prisoners/detainees of concern in Vietnam, which currently includes Father Nguyen Van Ly.

We are currently investigating, with EU partners, events surrounding the reported arrest of Rev. Nguyen Hong Quang and some of his followers in Ho Chi Minh City earlier this year including Nguyen Hieu Nghia, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Pham Ngoc Thach and Nguyen Van Phuong.

Zimbabwe

Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government offer to UK citizens living in Zimbabwe who wish to return to the UK. [184113]

Mr. Mullin: We offer UK nationals living in Zimbabwe the same assistance as we would to UK nationals living in any other country. If requested, we can contact relatives or friends in the UK to ask for financial or other assistance. We may also be able to help with travel documents. We can provide information on such things as state benefits, health and education services, citizenship and employment, and inform returning UK nationals about the options available to them on return to the UK.
 
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DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Additional Households

Mr. Lilley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many additional households he estimates will be created in the South East region including London and the South, South West and Eastern regions between (a) 2001 to 2011 and (b) 2021 to 2031 as a result of (i) the reduction in the average number of people per household, (ii) the excess of births over deaths among those residents in 2001, (iii) net immigration from the rest of the UK including subsequent births less deaths and (iv) net immigration from outside the UK including subsequent births less deaths; [185814]

(2) how many additional households he estimates were created in the South East region including London and the South, South West and Eastern regions in each of the last two decades as a result of (a) the reduction in the average number of people per household, (b) excess of births over deaths among the initially resident population, (c) net immigration from other parts of the UK including subsequent births less deaths and (d) net immigration from outside the UK including subsequent births less deaths; [185815]

(3) how many additional households he estimates were created in the UK in each of the last two decades as a result of (a) the reduction in the average number of people per household, (b) the excess of births over deaths and (c) the excess of immigration over emigration including subsequent births less deaths; [185816]

(4) what change in the number of households created in the UK between (a) 2001 to 2011 and (b) 2021 to 2031 he estimates will result in (i) changes in the average number of people per household, (ii) the difference between births and deaths from the population resident in 2001 and (iii) the difference between immigration over emigration including subsequent births less deaths. [185817]

Keith Hill: The information is not available at present. We will write our reply when we are able to produce the required statistics.

Postal Ballots

Mr. Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government intends to publish a consultation on the roll-out of all postal ballots this year. [186122]

Mr. Raynsford: The Government intend to make a decision on this matter once it has the benefit of the Electoral Commission's evaluation of the all-postal pilots held in June 2004 in the north-east, north-west, east midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber regions under the European Parliamentary and Local Elections (Pilots) Act 2004.

Accessibility Planning Projects

Sir Sydney Chapman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made since January 2004 with accessibility planning pilot projects and the development of accessibility indicators; and what plans he has to produce further guidance on how to incorporate community infrastructure projects,
 
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including schools, hospitals and open space, into masterplans and other spatial plans for the Thames Gateway. [185820]

Keith Hill: The Department for Transport completed the eight accessibility planning pilots in April 2004. Six core accessibility indicators have been agreed, which include access to education and health care (two indicators each) and access to jobs and major retail centres. Each English Local Transport Authority outside London will report against these indicators as part of their next Local Transport Plan. The indicators and the findings of the pilots will also inform the development of planning policy guidance. In addition the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is developing an accessibility indicator for local planning authorities, as part of their annual monitor reporting requirements under section 35 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

The Government will shortly be publishing policy guidance in respect to Regional Spatial Strategies (Planning Policy Statement 11) and Local Development Frameworks (Planning Policy Statement 12) which will apply in Thames Gateway as elsewhere. In particular, the latter will set out guidance in respect to masterplans and other forms of area action plan, explaining how local planning authorities should adopt a spatial approach to development which incorporates the need for community infrastructure including schools and hospitals.

In the Thames Gateway the Government will also be issuing guidance to local delivery vehicles that are currently being established in priority development areas. This guidance will focus on the development of sustainable communities in line with the principles set out in "Sustainable Communities : building for the future", including the need to work with relevant local service providers to plan for the delivery of schools, healthcare provision and good quality public spaces alongside housing growth.

Brent Council Properties

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many previously non-Brent tenants moved into Brent Council properties in each year since 1997; and how many of these were families with children. [186297]

Keith Hill: Information on the number of Local Authority dwellings let through mobility arrangements since 1997–98 in Brent is tabled.

Lettings under mobility arrangements include the Housing Organisation Mobility Exchange Service (HOMES) and other similar schemes. The majority of households transferring under these schemes will come from outside the local authority boundary, but may include Registered Social Landlord tenants moving to Local Authority dwellings within Brent. Information on the number of families with children cannot be distinguished in the data.

Both mutual exchanges, and lettings made directly from the housing waiting list may also include households from outside the Brent area, but these households and those that are families with children cannot be distinguished.
 
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LA dwellings let through mobility arrangements in Brent

1997–98	19
1998–99	16
1999–00	10
2000–01	20
2001–02	3
2002–03	11

Source:
ODPM's Housing Investment Programme Return

Sarah Teather: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many local authority-owned properties in Brent do not meet the Government's decent homes standard; and what the estimated cost is of bringing them up to this standard. [186298]

Keith Hill: In their Business Plan Statistical Appendix Brent reported that 5,211 local authority-owned properties did not meet the Government's decent homes standard at April 2003. Based on an assessment of their costs presented at the time of their bid their Arms Length Management Organisations have been allocated £33.8 million to date to bring properties up to decent homes.

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