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4 May 2006 : Column 1804W—continued
Pathfinder Programme
Mr. Rogerson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what average amount has been spent on household improvements in each pathfinder scheme area; and how many houses have been subject to improvements in each area. [64433]
Yvette Cooper: Provisional figures from pathfinders to end March 2006 are in the following table.
This is in addition to the decent homes programme which is also refurbishing social housing in many areas.
Planning
Mr. Pickles:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden
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of 16 February 2006, Official Report, column 2248W, on planning, when he will place a copy of the publication referred to in the Library. [66319]
Yvette Cooper: My officials have confirmed with the Library that a copy of the 1992 version of Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 : Housing" referred to in my earlier answer has now been registered and is available for viewing in the Library of the House.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans his Department has to revise Planning Policy Guidance Note 13. [66438]
Yvette Cooper: It is not proposed to replace PPG13 at present.
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether Planning Policy Statement 3 imposes any obligation on local authorities to sell their own land to meet housing demand; and if he will make a statement. [66339]
Yvette Cooper: Draft Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing" (PPS3), published for consultation in December last year, does not impose any obligation on local authorities to sell their own land to meet housing demand.
Mr. Soames: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish a new planning policy statement on water. [64447]
Yvette Cooper: Water issues are already covered extensively in existing planning guidance. Over 300 separate references to water ensure that planning authorities take account of the availability of water in their planning decisions, making more efficient use and re-use of water to minimise the need for new resources and avoid placing additional demands on the environment. We have no plans to publish a separate planning policy statement on water.
CABINET OFFICE
Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will answer the letter to him dated 14 March from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. N. McHugh. [67485]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I apologise for the delay in replying to the right hon. Member. A reply was sent on 3 May.
Legislative Programme Committee
Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the work of the Legislative Programme Committee. [67164]
Mr. Jim Murphy: Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice and the proceedings of Cabinet and Cabinet committees is generally not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.
Details of the membership and terms of reference of the Committee are available in the Library and on the Cabinet Office website.
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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
International Arms Trade Treaty
Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to promote the Arms Trade treaty amongst the UK defence industry. [68075]
Dr. Howells: In May 2005 defence industry representatives attended an inaugural meeting organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London to discuss the concept of an International Arms Trade treaty. Since then we have engaged with industry groups as part of our regular briefings on export control issues, and in meetings to specifically discuss work towards a treaty. We will continue to do so as this initiative progresses. The industry remains supportive, judging that a treaty will create a more level playing field for export control standards.
Iraq (Oil Policy)
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Government officials consulted the private sector during discussions on Iraqi oil policy (a) between March and December 2003 and (b) after December 2003; and if he will make a statement. [66823]
Dr. Howells: Yes. There have been frequent contacts between Government officials and private sector staff in the period since March 2003. The Government of Iraq has been fully responsible for policy on the development of its oil sector since it assumed sovereignty in June 2004. All decisions on the future of the Iraqi oil sector will be taken by the elected Government of Iraq.
The UK is keen to play a role supporting the Iraqi Government as it moves forward with oil sector development. To do this we need to consult a wide range of views in order to understand the workings of the sector and the challenges it faces. To this end, we maintain contact with a range of stakeholders in order to form a UK Government view. These include non-governmental organisations, parliamentary groups, technical and constitutional experts as well as private sector groups.
Israel
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2006, Official Report, column 10027W, on Israel, what further representation he has made to the Israeli government with regard to their failure to respond to his original representations of November 2005 in respect of the anti-semitic harassment of the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton by an Israeli official at Tel-Aviv airport. [67493]
Dr. Howells:
The Israeli authorities have now completed their investigation. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary expects to receive a reply addressing my right hon. Friend's concerns within two weeks. On receipt of the reply, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will write to my right hon. Friend.
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Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what interventions he has made with the Israeli government regarding the case of James Miller. [67867]
Dr. Howells: Between May 2003 and March 2006 my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised the case of James Miller with the Israeli authorities on 13 occasions. Most recently, he wrote to the Israeli Foreign Minister on 1 March 2006 expressing the Government's disappointment that no one has been held accountable for James Miller's killing and supporting the family'srequest for compensation. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also made an additional 27 interventions on this case with the Israelis, at ministerial and official level.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to participate in further discussions with the Israeli government regarding the deaths of James Miller andTom Hurdnall and the coroner's verdict on both cases. [67868]
Dr. Howells: The St. Pancras Coroner has formally written to my noble and learned Friend the Attorney-General and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary about these two cases. The Attorney-General will be meeting both the Miller family and the Hurndall family later this week. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will also meet both families this month. We will decide on the next steps once the Attorney-General has assessed the Coroner's findings and Ministers have discussed the cases with the families.
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet the families of James Miller and Tom Hurdnall. [67869]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will be meeting the family of Tom Hurndall on 8 May and the family of James Miller on 11 May.
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government (a) funds and (b) supports co-existence projects in (i)Israel and (ii) the West Bank; and if he will make a statement. [65725]
Mr. Straw: My department supports co-existence projects in Israel and the West Bank. In the 2005–06 financial year funding from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Global Conflict Prevention Pool allocated approximately £174,000 to promote peaceful co-existence between the Palestinians and the Israelis. This supported projects such as the Executive Action Team water project, which works with Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian officials to manage shared water resources to limit pollution.
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