Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to develop long-term economic sustainability in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

We have scaled up our work on economic development across the West Bank and Gaza. We are providing up to £38 million over five years (2018-2023) to help tackle the problems of low growth and high unemployment in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs).

Our support will focus on efforts to increase trade and job creation by working with the Palestinian and Israeli authorities to enable greater movement and access for people and goods, and improve water and energy supply, particularly in Gaza. We will also continue to support the implementation of Paris Protocol measures in relation to the transfer of taxes and fees Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA), and any measures agreed by the parties to transfer the responsibility of revenue collection. Our support in these areas will help thousands of Palestinians in their daily lives, support the financial sustainability of the PA and contribute to preserving the viability of the two-state solution.