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16 Nov 2005 : Column 1274W—continued

Thailand

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on recent political unrest in the Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces of Thailand. [28417]

Ian Pearson: We remain concerned by the continuing violence in the southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat and remain in close contact with the Royal Thai Government.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the situation in the south of Thailand with the Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, in London last month.
 
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UK Expatriates (Spain)

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Spain about the costs of providing healthcare to UK expatriates; and if he will make a statement. [27534]

Mr. Douglas Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any discussions with his Spanish counterpart on this subject.

The Spanish Government have not raised it with us at ministerial level, or in the European Union.

United States (Prince of Wales's Visit)

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2005, Official Report, column 636W, on HRH Prince of Wales (US visit), what the (a) job title and (b) grade was of each of the (i) junior staff from the embassy in Washington who accompanied HRH the Prince of Wales and HRH the Duchess of Cornwall throughout their recent visit to the US and (ii) staff based in (A) New York and (B) San Francisco who accompanied their Royal Highnesses. [26863]

Mr. Straw [holding answer 14 November 2005]: In addition to the ambassador, the following members of staff from the British embassy in Washington accompanied the Royal party during their visit to the US:

In New York, the Consul General, Grade SMS 3, Deputy Consul General, Grade SMS 1, and the Visits Officer, Grade US 6 accompanied the Royal Party. In San Francisco, they were accompanied by the Consul General, Grade SMS 1 and the Visits Officer, Grade US 5.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

House Building (Barnet)

8. Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on house-building and development in the London borough of Barnet. [28532]

Yvette Cooper: Barnet aims to provide a minimum of 890 new homes per year, which was exceeded in 2004–05. Barnet is an opportunity borough with great potential to deliver more. There are proposals in the London plan housing alteration to increase this to 1,960 homes per year. This will help meet housing need and deliver sustainable communities in London. Between 2000 and 2003 92 percent. of new homes in Barnet were built on brown field land.
 
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10. Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment has been made of the additional infrastructure that will be required to support extra house-building in Taunton Deane. [28535]

Yvette Cooper: The need for future housing and infra-structure in Taunton Deane is currently being considered as part of the review of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) being undertaken by the South West Regional Assembly. The draft RSS will be submitted to the Secretary of State in March 2006.

The Government are strongly committed to the principle that infrastructure (including public services) must be sufficient to support growth.

11. Nick Herbert: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the infrastructure improvements required to meet his house-building targets in the South East. [28536]

Yvette Cooper: Government recognises the critical links between infrastructure and growth and is committed to exploring the infrastructure needs of the region as the South East Regional Planning process progresses.

13. Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will link new house-building targets to improvements in infrastructure. [28538]

Yvette Cooper: The Government are strongly committed to the principle that infrastructure must be sufficient to support growth—that is an essential element in achieving sustainable communities. Our approach is to ensure that infrastructure, including public services, is provided in step with growth, as plans for individual growth locations are developed.

Housing Corporation Funding

9. Dr. Cable: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which private developers can bid for Housing Corporation funding previously reserved for social landlords. [28534]

Mr. Woolas: Persons other than registered social landlords are now eligible to bid for social housing grant from the Housing Corporation under the Housing Act 2004. Housing associations and private companies are competing in the 2006–08 bidding round on as equal a basis as possible to provide the same products.

The aim is to widen the whole competition for grant, bring forward more schemes and encourage more efficiency in provision and new partnerships, with no reduction in the quality of homes. That should mean better value for money for the taxpayer and more affordable homes to meet the serious shortage for those in housing need.

Regional Spatial Strategies

12. Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the level of consultation being undertaken in connection with regional spatial strategies. [28537]


 
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Yvette Cooper: There is a statutory requirement for the Regional Planning Body to consult a wide range of stakeholders both while the draft revision of the Regional Spatial Strategy is being prepared and after publication. An independent examination in public of the draft, at which people will be invited to speak, is required in all but exceptional circumstances. The Secretary of State's proposed changes are then published with a further minimum eight week consultation period.

Damages

Mr. Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the 10 largest amounts of damages paid out by his office in the last year for which figures are available, indicating in each case the nature of the claim. [27740]

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not collect the information requested centrally and could provide it only at disproportionate cost.
 
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Green Belt

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) how much land changing to residential use was within (a) the designated green belt and (b) greenfield land, in each year since 1997, broken down by region; [4312]

(2) how much land within the 1997 designated green belt changed to developed use in each year since 1997, broken down by region; [4313]

(3) how many new dwellings have been built within the 1997 designated green belt in each year since 1997, broken down by region. [4314]

Yvette Cooper: The available estimates are from Land Use Change Statistics, shown in the following tables. The estimates for 2003 are provisional and are subject to revision. Figures are not shown for 1999 as the data received for that year were incomplete. Figures for 1997 to 2000 reflect planning policies and decisions made before 1997.
Land changing to residential use within 1997 designated green belt (PQ 0484 05/06)

Hectares
(a) All on designated green belt
199419951996199719982000200120022003
North East331271023
North West514639605964434953
Yorkshire and the Humber252721404228415046
East Midlands91013107201769
West Midlands242729333138315635
East of England405041374958683646
London45691716102315
South East625249675475645255
South West91481016141399
England226234207267281313288283272
Proportion of all green belt (percentage)0.0140.0140.0130.0160.0170.0190.0170.0170.016

Hectares

(b) On greenfield land (not previously developed)
199419951996199719982000200120022003
North East221271012
North West261727362923172025
Yorkshire and the Humber181715242521202522
East Midlands6644461236
West Midlands151519141722172414
East of England111412101022131320
London120076384
South East181012281928141713
South West3946107452
England101939412312713599115109
Proportion of all green belt (percentage)0.0060.0060.0060.0070.0080.0080.0060.0070.007

New dwellings within 1997 designated green belt (PQ 0486 05/06)

Hectares
(c) All on designated green belt
199419951996199719982000200120022003
North East5223225014019112770
North West8797717301,2841,0491,3507991,0191,565
Yorkshire and the Humber373423316630673508891939815
East Midlands143125181194143297289117120
West Midlands390533474610507731817879653
East of England5525804994798469561,181485795
London89153171182441384218405287
South East6537335538688021,1759507341,053
South West124211109159309271243199163
England3,2553,5523,0554,4564,9105,6915,3994,8045,521
Proportion of all new dwellings (percentage)232344443

 
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Hectares

(d) On greenfield land (not previously developed)
199419951996199719982000200120022003
North East462019341281721945
North West472285486746486355296329682
Yorkshire and the Humber289269173336361373462361405
East Midlands9377679377391483965
West Midlands220313288276225372462333250
East of England119134132107135331198145286
London5667632381317212779
South East172117147301218278134194322
South West53135469319590327634
England1,5201,4171,3641,9892,0631,9861,8061,6232,168
Proportion of all new dwellings (percentage)111112111

Land changing to developed use within 1997 designated green belt (PQ 0485 and 1296)

Hectares
(a) All on designated green belt
199419951996199719982000200120022003
North East4320111431847132118
North West331329367488401223367142222
Yorkshire and the Humber253283182481437164131286285
East Midlands6513219797939210228128
West Midlands173210286130125328155129335
East of England172183159196238273319169339
London1928449564371253664
South East228244482395218554309143151
South West481452075885132753529
England1,3321,5731,9352,0841,6781,8501,5969881,570
Proportion of all green belt (percentage)0.080.100.120.130.100.110.100.060.10

Hectares

(b) On greenfield land (not previously developed)
199419951996199719982000200120022003
North East1415710984561610
North West1971502433152621012375359
Yorkshire and the Humber152102752742826052124133
East Midlands4660160617470581360
West Midlands101761436962673552266
East of England838487150716590100120
London121419482514421031
South East11210310420469389904057
South West289216042539145148
England7466969991,273904902656421744
Proportion of all green belt (percentage)0.050.040.060.080.050.050.040.030.05


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