Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the situation in the occupied West Bank territories; and whether he has had discussions with his regional counterparts on (a) supporting, (b) strengthening and (c) reforming the Palestinian Authority.

The Prime Minister, former Foreign Secretary and the Minister for the Middle East have engaged with Israel, the Palestinian Authority and partners across the Middle East on the conflict and have urged Israel to take meaningful action to support the Palestinian Authority. Our position is clear: Israel must not take action which would further undermine security and stability in the West Bank.

The UK also recognises the importance of building the capability of Palestinian Institutions and we do provide significant technical assistance support on areas such as public financial management and security sector. Our support to the Palestinian Authority is extremely important in helping to lay the groundwork for a future Palestinian state and a lasting solution to the conflict in the region. Our policy on the Middle East Peace Process also remains clear: we support a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state; based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees. We believe that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between Israelis and Palestinians, supported by the international community.