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6 Jun 2005 : Column 388W—continued
Turkey
Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements the Government, as holders of the EU's presidency, plans to make to mark the beginning of negotiations on Turkey's accession to the EU. [1898]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: In line with the 2004 December European Council Conclusions, EU Foreign Ministers are scheduled to open Turkey's accession negotiations at an inter-governmental conference in Luxembourg on 3 October.
Vietnam
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Vietnam about the (a) trials of (i) Reverend Quang and (ii) Mr Thach and (b) the imprisonment of Ms Le Thi Hony; and if he will make a statement. [1984]
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Ian Pearson: We and our EU partners regularly discuss human rights issues with the Vietnamese Government. We participate in a regular EU-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue, which is attended by our Ambassador in Hanoi. The EU raised the detention and treatment of prisoners among our issues of concern at the most recent Dialogue meeting on 17 December, and will raise the issue again at the next meeting on 7 June. We also raise freedom of religion, restrictions on religious organisations, the situation of protestant groups and fair trial procedures. We have urged Vietnam to guarantee in practice the right of all religious groups to practice their faith freely in community.
The EU has raised the case of Reverend Nguyen Hong Quang and his followers, including Mr. Thach, with the Vietnamese authorities and we sought permission to attend his appeal hearing on 12 April (which was denied). We were disappointed that their sentences were upheld at this appeal hearing. We and our EU partners continue to follow developments in these cases with close interest.
The EU has also raised the case of Ms Le Thi Hong Lien, who I believe the hon. Member is referring to, with the Vietnamese authorities. We welcomed the Vietnamese Government's decision to release Ms Le Thi Hong Lien and five other prisoners of concern during the Victory Day amnesty on 30 April.
Zimbabwe
Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on the imprisonment of the former Member of Parliament in Zimbabwe, Mr. Roy Bennett; [1665]
(2) what recent assessment he has made of the conditions in which the former Member of Parliament in Zimbabwe, Mr. Roy Bennett; [1666]
(3) what representations the UK Government have made to (a) the Zimbabwean Government, (b) the African Commission on Human and People's Rights and (c) the international community concerning the imprisonment of the former Member of Parliament in Zimbabwe, Mr. Roy Bennett. [1667]
Ian Pearson: Our embassy in Harare are in contact with Roy Bennett's family and lawyers.
The recent report of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights provides graphic testimony about his detention conditions. While we do not condone the actions for which Roy Bennett was charged, we believe that the sentence he received was wholly disproportionate to his offence. The Zimbabwean Attorney-General admitted this in two concessions submitted in court last week. He added that Parliament was not properly constituted as a court of law when it heard Roy Bennett's case. We condemn the fact that the Government's Chief Legal Officer withdrew the two concessions as a result of political pressure.
The case of Roy Bennett is only part of a broader pattern of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, and the growing abuse of the legal system. We will continue to
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work for the restoration of human rights and the rule of law in Zimbabwe and to discuss our concerns with African and other international partners.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what information he has received on the level of political intimidation employed by Zanu PF during the March parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe; [1691]
(2) what assessment he has made of the freedom and fairness of the March parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe. [1695]
Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the statement my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made to the House on 5 April on the elections in Zimbabwe, Official Report, columns 1260–66. There was strong evidence that the official published results did not reflect the free democratic will of the Zimbabwean people. That remains our assessment. Reports by objective observers indicate that ZANU(PF) and the regime security forces employed intimidation, in addition to other malpractice, to manipulate these elections.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prospect of achieving sustainable progress towards democracy in Zimbabwe. [1692]
Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the Statement my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made to the House on 5 April 2005, Official Report, columns 1260–66, that the March parliamentary elections did not reflect the free democratic will of the Zimbabwean people. The European Union and others have echoed this. We judge that no significant progress has been made towards the restoration of democracy. Mugabe has demonstrated time and again his contempt for the democratic rights of Zimbabweans. We will maintain firm international pressure until the situation there improves.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received advocating re-engagement with the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe. [1693]
Ian Pearson: We retain diplomatic relations with Zimbabwe, and through our Embassy in Harare and occasional visits by officials, continue to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to make the reforms necessary to restore normality to Zimbabwe. We are also heavily involved in the humanitarian effort to feed the people of Zimbabwe and tackle HIV. But we have received no indications that Mugabe wishes to address the underlying causes of the crisis in Zimbabwe—bad governance and bad policies—and until and unless we do, we see little point in enhanced international engagement with his regime.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the maintenance and expansion of sanctions against the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe. [1694]
Ian Pearson:
This Government believes that the European Union's current policy towards Zimbabwe, including sanctions against the Mugabe regime, is justified by that regime's failure to address EU concerns, including the abuse of democracy, human rights and the
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rule of law. We are currently working with our Partners to update the travel ban and assets freeze list to reflect recent changes in the government and ruling party in Harare.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Affordable Housing
John Hemming: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the maximum price is that the Government deem to be affordable for an affordable home for sale for each of the Government office regions; and what income would be needed to purchase a property at that price without external assistance. [934]
Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Sustainable Communities Plan launched in February 2003 began to address the problems of affordability by identifying the potential for 200,000 additional homes in London and the south east growth areas above the levels currently planned in regional planning guidance. Kate Barker's Review of housing supply reinforces the case for a step change in housing supply to improve affordability. We will respond to the recommendations in the Barker Review by the end of the year.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how many affordable homes have been (a) started and (b) completed in each of the last three years in the (i)Plymouth unitary authority area, (ii) Torbay unitary authority area and (iii) Devon county council area; and how much public funding has been made available to each authority for affordable housing projects in each of the last three years; [941]
(2) how many affordable homes have been (a) started and (b) completed in each of the last three years in (i)the Plymouth unitary authority area, (ii) the Torbay unitary authority area and (ii) the Devon county council area; and how much public funding has been made available to each for affordable housing projects in each of the last three years. [1552]
Yvette Cooper: The following table shows figures for Plymouth, Torbay and Devon county council on (a) affordable homes provided, (b) affordable homes started and (c) how much public funding has been made available to each of the above public authorities for affordable housing projects. Figures are provided for the last three years except for starts on site which are only available for 2004–05.
(43)Devon county council excludes Plymouth and Torbay unitary authorities.
Source:
Housing Corporation (figures are based on sponsoring local authorities)
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The table includes new build dwellings, acquisitions and refurbishments for both rent and low cost home ownership schemes through both the Approved Development Programme and Transitional Local Authority Social Housing Grant (TLASHG). The completion figures include units completed under TLASHG by with debt authorities, however spend on these schemes are not included in the funding figures.
Funding and completions are not directly comparable, as funding will relate to projects running, not necessarily units completed, in any one year.
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