Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on prospects for the Middle East peace process.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The United Kingdom remains a strong supporter of efforts to promote peace in the Middle East. We are in regular conversations with partners about the best way to advance prospects for peace. The Acting Minister for the Middle East discussed prospects for peace with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 30 April and the Palestinian Head of Mission in the UK on 9 May.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Hamas Government in Gaza on political stability in the region.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK remains very concerned about the situation in Gaza and any actions by Hamas which increase instability. We utterly condemn rocket fire from by Hamas and other militants in Gaza; Palestinians and Israelis deserve to live in safety and peace. Hamas must renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements. Hamas' military wing has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK since 2001 and the UK retains a policy of no contact with Hamas in its entirety. We regularly raise our concerns about the situation in Gaza with the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority, pressing them on the need for a long-term strategy to improve economic and political conditions, and urging them to work together to see long-term improvements. We are supportive of Hamas-Fatah reconciliation attempts, and of the PA returning to resume government functions in Gaza, helping to improve the dire humanitarian and economic situation.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of the security threat posed by Hezbollah to (a) Israel and (b) the Middle East.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The British Government has serious concerns about the actions and behaviours of Hizballah in the Middle East. Its continued role in Syria, amassing of weapons outside of state control and, therefore, the lack of distinction between its political and military wings is what led the Home Secretary to extend proscription of Hizballah to the entirety of the organisation. Most recently, former Minister, Alistair Burt, raised this during his visit to Lebanon in March this year, when he expressed his concerns over Hezbollah's regional role.
Hizballah has been proscribed in its entirety since March and the UK has long had a no contact policy with the whole organisation.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of reports of renewed tunnel construction into Israel by Hamas in Gaza.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We remain deeply concerned by Hamas's attempts to re-arm and rebuild militant infrastructure, including the tunnel network, in Gaza. Such actions undermine efforts to improve the situation in Gaza and harm the prospects for peace.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of democratic processes in the Palestinian Authority.
Answered by Alistair Burt
While we have made no recent assessment of this matter, we continue to believe that inclusive, accountable and democratic institutions and processes, based on respect for the rule of law and human rights, are crucial elements in establishing a viable and sovereign Palestinian State.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of Iran's ballistic missile programme.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Iran’s ballistic missile programme presents a threat to the security of the Middle East and Europe which cannot be ignored. We therefore continue to call on Iran to act consistently with all UN Security Council resolutions in relation to its ballistic missile programme.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of adequacy of democratic processes in the Palestinian Authority.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Inclusive, accountable and democratic institutions and processes, based on respect of the rule of law and human rights, are important goals. Along with EU partners, we have encouraged the Palestinian leadership to continue their work towards genuine and democratic elections for Palestinians.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of tunnel construction into Israel by Hamas in Gaza on the political situation in that region.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We remain deeply concerned by Hamas's attempts to re-arm and rebuild militant infrastructure, including the tunnel network, in Gaza. Such actions undermine efforts to improve the situation in Gaza and harm the prospects for peace and stability in the Middle East.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of effect of renewed rocket fire from Gaza into Israel on the political situation in that region.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK fully supports Israel’s right to self-defence. Indiscriminate rocket attacks against civilians are unacceptable and unjustifiable. The perpetual cycle of violence does not serve anyone’s interests, and must end. Ultimately, the ongoing decision by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to embrace violence lies at the heart of the Gaza situation. We need a durable agreement that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict and transforms the situation in Gaza.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Tunisian counterpart on encouraging democratic participation ahead of the legislative elections planned in that country for 2019.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Democratic participation is part of our ongoing dialogue with Tunisia about their democratic transition, and was a feature of both Lord Ahmad's and my visits to Tunisia this summer. Municipal elections in May were an important milestone in Tunisia's democratic transition, including in terms of encouraging local community engagement.