Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the recently approved 7,000 new housing units in the West Bank by Israeli planning authorities.

The UK's position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. The Foreign Secretary has repeatedly raised this issue with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, when they met in person on 21 March, and in phone calls on 10 January and 7 March. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon also raised this point with the Israeli Government during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) in January. Lord Ahmad also reaffirmed the UK's opposition to Israeli settlement expansion during his 31 March meeting with Palestinian Head of Mission Zomlot.