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PM confirms over 450 British tsunami victims
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| Blair: Tsunami statement |
The prime minister has the number of Britons killed in the tsunami disaster is likely to exceed 450.
In a statement to the Commons, Tony Blair said that 51 were confirmed dead with a further 402 registered as "category one" missing.
A further 871 are registered as "category two" - those "missing in the area but not highly likely" to be dead.
Blair told MPs that British government aid for the stricken region had now been increased from £50 million to £75 million.
Money would not be "taken from existing aid budgets" assured Blair.
The prime minister also outlined how the government had provided practical help to assist the aid effort and help British citizens caught up in the disaster.
Blair said the emergency call centre in Hendon had handled 135,000 calls.
He also said over 200 family liaison officers had been provided to all grieving relatives.
The prime minister also told MPs in the Commons that a memorial service would be held for victims later this year, to be attended by the Queen.
He promised arrangements for that service would be made after consultation with the relatives of those who died in the greatest single British loss of life since the Second World War.
Paying tribute to the British staff who had helped in the effort to deal with the tragedy had done "a quite magnificent and exceptional job and we express our gratitude to them".
He also praise the response of the British people who have donated over £100 million to the aid effort.
Michael Howard said the UN should produce regular independent audits of money pledged and received and the government should publish figures for the amount pledged and spent by Britain.
The Tory leader called for more transparent information on how the millions of pounds being donated by the public are spent.
"It would be sensible for the United Nations to provide an independent audit of disaster income received and expenditure made," he said.
"And would the prime minister now agree to give parliament a regular report on the amount of British aid pledged and spent?"
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