No 9728, Thursday 31 Dec 09, M Manna

ACROSS
1 - Fellow in biblical tale deserving forgiveness (10) - {PARDON}{ABLE} (Correction - PAR{DON}ABLE - Thanks to Anokha, see comments)
6 - Vera appears to declare positively (4) - AVER*
9 - Raises volume — rejecting piano, used a forte (5,2) - {F}{A}{DES U}{P} <- )
10 - Form of art in the spirit and propriety (7) - {DECO}{RUM}
12 - Badly dressed woman, but strict about Latin (8) - S{LAT}TERN
13 - There may be an inn to stay in this country of Western Africa (5) - {BE}{NIN*}
15 - Take heed girl, avoid giving evasive statement (5) - HED{G}E* Why avoid giving?
17 - Waiting for an escort (9) - ATTENDANT [DD]
19 - One fractionally on top (9) - NUMERATOR [E]
21 - Revise poem from time to time (5) - {T}{EMPO*} Nice clue
23 - Gong brings many in to dinner, for example (5) - MODEL Anno pending (Addendum - ME{D}AL - See comments below)
24 - Destroys the star’s composure (8) - SHATTERS*
27 - Get on line for Internet market information (7) - NIELSEN Anno pending
28 - They’re prepared for a row when they meet (7) - OARSMEN [E]
29 - The fate of great many (4) - LOTS [DD]
30 - Indicatory anagram book (10) - DICTIONARY*
DOWN
1 - Become distended (4) - PUFF [CD]
2 - Doctor idled about a problem difficult to understand (7) - R{IDDLE*}D MM's Definition needs a re-look
3 - The attack is beginning (5) - ONSET [DD]
4 - Is one upset? In part — place is falling apart (9) - APPLECART*
5 - How the full cargo ship left a Yemeni port (5) - {L}{ADEN}
7 - Her majesty in the Victoria and Albert gallery (7) - {V}{ER}{AND}{A}
8 - Thinking disaster’s overwhelmed mark (10) - RUMINATION Anno pending, first I thought this was (-p)REMONITION but I could find no such word, though it fits the grid (Correction - RU{M}INATION - Ignore the earlier comment)
11 - It can be made to display china (7) - CABINET* Nice anagram
14 - Help one man in trouble? Remarkable! (10) - PHENOMENAL*
16 - Senor for a couple of pounds registers himself (7) - ENRO{LL}S*
18 - Evict a seaman? That’s a volte-face! (4,5) - {TURN} {AB}{OUT}
20 - Having obliged around five hundred, the good man is most resentful (7) - {MA{D}DE}{ST}
22 - Doctor taken in by girl on African xylophone (7) - MARI{MB}A

24 - A Muslim given backing in student body (5) - {SUN<-}{NI<-} )
25 - Roots out a piece of writing left unfinished (5) - TORSO* [DD]
26 - Young Dan turns out for him (4) - AND*{Y}
GRID