Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to discourage the continued construction of illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories since the beginning of Israel's current military action in Gaza.

The UK has reiterated on many occasions to Israel the need to cease constructing settlements that we consider illegal under international law. I refer my hon. Friend to the Statement on Gaza made by the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) on 14 July 2014, Official Report, Column 434.