9 May 2007 : Column 208W—continued
The figures, for cases decided by the Secretary of State, should be seen in the context of the total number of planning decisions made by Inspectors of the Planning Inspectorate:
| | Number |
|
2002-03
|
14,950
|
|
2003-04
|
18,194
|
|
2004-05
|
17,403
|
|
2005-06
|
21,493
|
|
2006-07
|
20,860
|
For the most recent year, the 16 decisions made by the Secretary of State against the recommendation of the Inspector represents 0.08 per cent. of the total number of decisions made by Inspectors or the Secretary of State.
There are no regional planning authorities, as suggested in the question. It may be that the right hon. Gentleman is referring to the Government Office regions. Should this be the case, I would be more than happy to provide him with this information on request.
Mr. Arbuthnot:
To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account she takes of local residents’ views when determining planning applications. [135778]
Meg Munn:
The Secretary of State fully takes into account the views of local people when determining planning applications. The principle of fully considering the views of local people, and the importance the Secretary of State ascribes to this process, is outlined in paragraphs 40-44 of Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development.
Furthermore, the Secretary of State will always consider the Inspector’s Report, inquiry evidence and post-inquiry representations—all of which incorporate the views of local people.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations
Richard Younger-Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress is being made on reconstruction works in Afghanistan being undertaken by those responsible to him. [132266]
Mr. Ingram:
The Secretary of State announced the deployment of additional Royal Engineers on 10 July 2006 to accelerate the reconstruction effort in southern Afghanistan. It is worth noting, though, that the UK task force as a whole is deployed to provide security so that reconstruction and development may take place.
The following tables list quick impact projects being undertaken in Helmand Province, and the progress that has been made to date. I have stated the agency responsible for the implementation of each project, and identified whether the responsible agency reports to the MOD. It is important to note, however, that in all instances the military work closely with other Government Departments and non-governmental organisations to agree key priorities with the Afghan authorities. In many instances, project delivery will require the involvement of a number of agencies. This is in line with our comprehensive approach.
In addition to the projects in the following table, there are a number of long-term development initiatives being undertaken throughout Afghanistan, to which the Department for International Development (DFID) contributes. DFID funds around $60 million over three years (2006-09) in support of their Helmand Agriculture and Rural Development Programme.
9 May 2007 : Column 209W
9 May 2007 : Column 210W
| Security |
| Responsible agency | Agency responsible to MOD | Location | Title | Total cost ($) | Status |
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Permanent Vehicle Check Point (PVCP)
|
21,387
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Gereshk
|
Afghan National Police (ANP) Infrastructure in Gereshk
|
240,000
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Afghan National Army (ANA) Platoon House
|
40,387
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
ANP Outposts
|
143,964
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
4 x PVCPs
|
155,000
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
4 x Enhanced PVCPs
|
110,000
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Helmand
|
Construction resources for 12 modular Military Construction Force built ANP temporary police stations/PVCPs
|
600,000
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
New Joint Provincial Coordination Centre
|
161,147
|
Complete
|
|
Governor’s Office
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
2 x PVCPs
|
16,800
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Ablutions at US Protection and Investigations (USPI) compound for Afghan National Auxiliary Police (ANAP) training
|
5,265
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Tombstone
|
Camp Shorabak (ANA) Mosque
|
100,000
|
Planned
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Provision of security infrastructure for Governor’s office and Bost Hotel
|
84,227
|
In progress
|
|
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT)
|
Yes
|
Kajaki
|
Water/Fuel storage for the ANA
|
1,200
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Gereshk
|
Upgrade to ANA compound in Gereshk
|
15,000
|
Complete
|
|
Operations Company
|
Yes
|
Laskhar Gah
|
Upgrade to Muktar Gate
|
6,475
|
In progress
|
|
42 Commando
|
Yes
|
Nowzad
|
Rubble Clearance
|
0
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Military Police (RMP)
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Bonus Scheme for ANP top-performers at PVCPs
|
3,000
|
In progress
|
|
Information Exploitation Group
|
Yes
|
Garmsir
|
Garmsir PVCP repairs
|
700
|
In progress
|
|
Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT)
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Afghan Meeting facility
|
651
|
Complete
|
|
Total
| | | |
1,705,203
| |
| Social and economic development |
| Responsible agency | Agency responsible to MOD | Location | Title | Total cost ($) | Status |
|
Helping Afghan Farmers Organisation (HAFO)
|
No
|
Gereshk
|
Sayed Tajdar Shrine: wall and gate construction
|
21,224
|
Complete
|
|
HAFO
|
No
|
Gereshk
|
Sayed Tajdar Shrine: road and footpath construction
|
33,076
|
Complete
|
|
HAFO
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Improvement of Friday market and Gabion wall
|
140,623
|
Complete
|
|
HAFO
|
No
|
Cha-i-Anjeer
|
Improvement of Friday market
|
24,950
|
Complete
|
|
HAFO
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Gabion Extension
|
34,108
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Safean Playground
|
50,000
|
In progress
|
|
PRT
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Support to Office of Governor to respond to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) needs
|
60,000
|
Complete
|
|
Information Operations (IO)
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
improvements to Media Centre
|
8,336
|
Complete
|
|
Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC)
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah/Gereshk
|
Installation of solar-powered lighting
|
280,960
|
In progress
|
|
IO
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Support to Radio Stations
|
150,000
|
In progress
|
|
HAFO
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Weir on Helmand River
|
161,848
|
Complete
|
9 May 2007 : Column 211W
9 May 2007 : Column 212W
|
HAFO
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Extension of Gabion walls on Helmand River
|
168,045
|
Complete
|
|
HAFO
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Silt Removal from Helmand River
|
259,479
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Bost Hospital Generator and Mortuary
|
130,400
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Security wall for Women’s Centre
|
30,000
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Building work for Kartelegan and Toortank day care centres
|
86,052
|
Complete
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Women’s Centre sewing ISAF badges to UK mil uniforms
|
750
|
Complete
|
|
Governor’s Office
|
No
|
Nahrisiraj
|
Work to clear and strengthen stretch of Nahrisiraj canal
|
12,000
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Construction of 8 new classrooms at Zacor School
|
80,008
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Connection of a new school to electricity grid
|
1,809
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Construction of a 20 room midwifery hostel
|
221,762
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Construction of a perimeter wall for Cha I Anjeer school
|
25,000
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Essential repairs to Bolan Bridge
|
231,728
|
In progress
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Welfare Association for Development of Afghanistan (WADAN) Playground
|
1,090
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Repairs to 3 schools
|
185,062
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Improvements to Lashkar Gah library
|
13,925
|
Complete
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Sports equipment for 8 schools
|
0
|
Planned
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
School sports equipment
|
30,000
|
Planned
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Kartelegan Playground
|
52,237
|
Complete
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Welfare Centre Kitchen
|
15,819
|
In progress
|
|
HAFO
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Women’s Park
|
840,813
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
New School in Qala-e-Khana
|
0
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Refurbishment of Nawa School
|
72,713
|
In progress
|
|
Ministry of Public Health
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Rapid Assessment of Mukhtar IDP camp
|
973
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Musa Qaleh
|
Repairs to 3 mosques
|
350,000
|
Planned
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Gereshk
|
Playground and Football pitch
|
39,098
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Gereshk
|
Seminar Awal School repairs
|
0
|
Planned
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Gereshk
|
Technical School repairs
|
0
|
Planned
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Gereshk
|
Abolfathi Botsi Boys School Repairs
|
0
|
Planned
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Ministry of Agriculture Tree
|
6,750
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Garmsir
|
Reconstruction using local labour—road, wells, ditches
|
4,000
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Garmsir
|
Culvert bridge
|
500
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Garmsir
|
Bore Hole and Hand Pump
|
1,750
|
In Progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Nahr-e-Saraj
|
Lashkar Gah-Gereshk canal road culvert and gravel track repairs
|
28,272
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
3 km asphalt road and solid drainage Kartelegan-601
|
429,950
|
In progress
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Garmsir
|
CHC Generator Repair
|
505
|
In progress
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah/Gereshk
|
Midwifery Kits
|
5,416
|
In progress
|
|
Stabilisation Advisor (STABAD)
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Carpet weaving pilot project
|
82,733
|
In Progress
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Furniture for Zacor High School
|
20,000
|
Complete
|
|
PRT
|
No
|
Helmand
|
Support to Director of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (DRRD) for Musa Qaleh IDPs
|
800
|
Complete
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Gereshk
|
Refuse Collection Points and new trucks
|
34,000
|
In progress
|
9 May 2007 : Column 213W
9 May 2007 : Column 214W
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Upgrade to Bost Hospital Grounds
|
150,860
|
In progress
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Gereshk
|
Furniture for Gereshk Women’s Group
|
1,920
|
Complete
|
|
HAFO
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Lashkar Gah Bus Station
|
854,327
|
In progress
|
|
UK Task Force (UKTF)
|
Yes
|
Garmsir
|
Wells and Water Tower
|
10,800
|
In progress
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Covered waiting area at Bost Hospital
|
7,000
|
Complete
|
|
Royal Engineers
|
Yes
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Reconstruct Dept of Land Registry
|
98,142
|
In progress
|
|
CIMIC
|
Yes
|
Helmand
|
Procure 3 GPS units
|
500
|
In progress
|
|
PRT
|
No
|
Helmand
|
Provide Plant Machinery to DRRD
|
2,268,000
|
In progress
|
|
Police Mentors
|
No
|
Lashkar Gah
|
Additional Support to the Traffic Division
|
40,000
|
In progress
|
|
Total
| | | |
7,860,113
| |
