Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the government of Israel concerning the land dispute at Cows' Garden in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and if so, what the outcomes of those representations were.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

British officials met Armenian Community leader Hagop Djernazian in January 2024. The UK is monitoring the situation and is clear on the need to avoid any further rise in tensions. The UK's position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and long-standing: it should be determined in a negotiated settlement between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states. The UK is a strong supporter of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and an advocate for the integrity of culturally important areas to be respected. The UK continues to take a strong stance against settler violence and urges Israel to take stronger action to stop settler violence and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the government of Israel regarding the latter's plans to create a national park on the Mount of Olives; and what assessment they have made of the impact of these proposals on the Christian holy sites.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We recognise that Jerusalem holds particular significance for many groups around the globe, especially the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. We are committed to the Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all and an advocate for the integrity of culturally important areas to be respected. A final determination of the status of Jerusalem should be sought as part of a negotiated settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. It must ensure Jerusalem is a shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states, with access and the religious rights of all peoples respected.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of efforts by the government of Israel to reform the curriculum of Palestinian schools in East Jerusalem.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We regard East Jerusalem as part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories and under Israeli military occupation. We expect Israel to fulfil its obligations as the Occupying Power.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of travel restrictions, applied by the government of Israel on the free movement of Palestinian people within the West Bank and from the West Bank to Israel, on the economy of the West Bank; and what additional financial assistance, if any, they plan to provide to mitigate its effects.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We expect Israel to fulfil its obligations as an occupying power, and we are concerned by the restrictions on the free movement of Palestinians in the West Bank. In our engagements with Israel, we have stressed to them the damage the restrictions on movement, access, and trade are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians.

UK economic development programming works with the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel to help address the main constraints to growth, like water, energy and trade. Our work on economic development across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) seeks to contribute towards maintaining the viability of a peaceful, negotiated two-state solution by supporting inclusive growth.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel to ease its restrictions on the free movement of Palestinian people within the West Bank and from the West Bank to Israel.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We expect Israel to fulfil its obligations as an occupying power, and we are concerned by the restrictions on the free movement of Palestinians in the West Bank. In our engagements with Israel, we have stressed to them the damage the restrictions on movement, access, and trade are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what additional resources they plan to commit to support civil society organisations in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories that are working cross-communally for peace and reconciliation.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK's position is clear: we are committed to making progress towards a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. Since 7 October, we have announced £60 million of aid to trusted partners which will go towards helping Palestinian civilians.

Development programmes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) work to preserve the prospect of a negotiated two-state solution and to improve the lives of Palestinians throughout the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, in line with the UK's longstanding position. Through our Empowering Palestinian Institutions and Civil Society (EPICS) programme, we have an accountable grant with AMAN (the Coalition for Integrity and Accountability), which seeks to combat corruption and promote integrity, transparency and accountability in Palestinian society. It incorporates a number of civil society organizations working in the field of democracy, human rights and good governance.

The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) OPTs-Israel Programme also supports Tech 2 Peace, I'lam - Arab Centre for Media Freedom, Physicians for Human Rights Israel, and Project Rozana which work to support engagement and dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, building stronger constituencies and prospects for peace. We also support local organisations such as COMET-ME who work to keep Palestinians on their land in Area C of the West Bank, protecting the viability of a two-state solution.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that weapons manufactured in the UK and sold under export licences are not being used to commit or facilitate violations of international human law in Gaza and in contravention of the Arms Trade Treaty ratified by the UK on 2 April 2014.

Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.

The Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework and the Export Control Joint Unit will not issue an export licence to any destination where to do so would be inconsistent with the Criteria.

The Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and Gaza. We can and do respond quickly and flexibly to changing international circumstances. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard. We are able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences and refuse new licence applications as circumstances require.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the government of Israel is depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including by inhibiting of relief supplies.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As an occupying power in Gaza, Israel has a responsibility to ensure aid is made available for civilians.

We have set out the action that must be taken to allow more aid into Gaza, including: an immediate humanitarian pause and stop in fighting to get more aid in and the hostages out; increased capacity for aid distribution inside Gaza; increased access for aid through land routes and a fully open Ashdod Port; an expansion of the types of humanitarian assistance allowed into Gaza, such as shelter and items critical for infrastructure repair; and the provision of electricity, water and telecommunications.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will undertake a review of existing and pending licences of arm sales to Israel.

Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and Gaza. The Government can and does respond quickly and flexibly to changing international circumstances.

All export licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard. We are able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences and refuse new licence applications as circumstances require.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken, together with allies, to persuade those holding Israeli citizens hostage in Gaza to release them without delay.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government has been working with partners across the region to secure the release of hostages. The Foreign Secretary met with hostage families on 18 March, reaffirming the UK's commitment to see the release of all hostages.

We have been clear that the release of all hostages is one of the vital elements for a lasting peace. The Government continues to call for an immediate humanitarian pause to allow for the release of hostages.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reported allegations by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East of widespread abuse of Gazans detained by Israel during the war with Hamas.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We have expressed our grave concern about the shocking reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli military detention. The UK Government is clear that administrative detention should only be used when it is justified in accordance with international law. Those under detention should either be charged or released. We ask Israel to secure improvements in its detention practices.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, IPC Global Initiative - Special Brief, published 19 March, that famine in Gaza is imminent; and what steps they are taking in response.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Palestinians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis.

On 20 March, the Foreign Secretary announced the UK has funded WFP to provide 2000 tons of food aid, enough to feed 275,000 people in Gaza.

On 25 March, the Royal Air Force airdropped 10 tonnes of food aid - including water, rice and baby food - directly to civilians in Gaza.

We have trebled our aid commitment this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air.

We continue to call for an immediate stop in fighting to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to reinstate funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and, if so, when.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK provided £35 million to UNRWA this financial year, including an uplift of £16 million for the Gaza humanitarian response, all of which was disbursed before the recent allegations came to light. No more British funding is due this financial year and we have paused any future funding of UNRWA. I met with Commissioner-General Phillipe Lazzarini on 4 April to discuss the steps they are taking in response to the interim findings.

We want UNRWA to give detailed undertakings about changes in personnel, policy and precedents to ensure this can never happen again. We are working with allies to try to bring this situation to a rapid conclusion - not least because UNRWA have a vital role to play in providing aid and services in Gaza.

We are aware that the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services and Catherine Colonna have now provided their interim reports to the UN Secretary-General.

Our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response. We remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it, including through other UN agencies and British charities.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of figures released by the Office for National Statistics on 20 March showing an average increase in monthly rent paid by tenants in the UK of 9 per cent in the year ending in February, including an increase to 10.6 per cent in London to an average monthly rent of £2,035.

Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government recognises the cost of living pressures that tenants are facing, and that paying rent is likely to be a tenant’s biggest monthly expense.

Over the last two years, the Government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the most vulnerable with one of the largest support packages in Europe. Taken together, total support between 2022 and 2025 to help households with the cost-of-living is worth £108 billion – an average of £3,800 per UK household.

Individuals who need help to make their rent payments may be eligible for a range of support through the welfare system. From April 2024, the Government will be spending £1.2 billion restoring Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents. This significant investment means 1.6 million low-income households will gain, on average, nearly £800 per year in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024/25. For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need more support, Discretionary Housing Payments and Household Support Fund grants are also available from local authorities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to impede Hamas acquiring or retaining the resources to make war.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As we have said, removing Hamas' capacity to launch attacks against Israel and Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza are among the vital elements for a lasting peace.

The UK has already imposed sanctions on key figures in Hamas' leadership, disrupting the terrorist group's financial networks which sustain their operation, including from Iran. A third tranche of sanctions was announced by FCDO in January. On 27 March the UK announced further sanctions on individuals linked to a Hamas-supporting media network. The UK continues to work closely with our partners to identify further opportunities to disrupt Hamas' financial networks, including cutting off access to funding being used to carry out atrocities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made in correcting the errors in the Person Centric Data Platform and Atlas system, which have led to the merging of different immigration records.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Person Centric Data Platform (PCDP) holds millions of identities that have been submitted or otherwise provided in support of immigration applications to the UK over many years. The Home Office is aware of issues around ‘merged identity’ - where a single ‘identity island’ has been formed with data belonging to two or more individuals within the PCDP. This is not an issue with Atlas - which provides caseworking capabilities supporting business processing of applicants.

Through detailed analysis of PCDP data, the Home Office has identified around 46,000 records with an identity issue, of which over 13,000 have already been resolved. We have a dedicated team working to resolve the remainder as quickly, and as carefully, as possible.

The Home Office takes data security and accuracy very seriously. Substantial changes have been made to our IT systems to improve data quality, user experience, and caseworking productivity across multiple applications.

Where customers identify an issue with their data, we encourage them to contact the UK Visas and Immigration Contact Centre to enable this to be investigated and resolved.

Found: Baroness Meacher, Lord Murray of Blidworth, Baroness Meacher, Baroness Hamwee, Baroness Helic, The Lord

Found: Baroness Meacher, Lord Murray of Blidworth, Baroness Meacher, Baroness Hamwee, Baroness Helic, The Lord