Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK and Palestinian strategic cooperation: memorandum of understanding, published on 28 April 2025, what information his Department holds on the timescale for the Palestinian Authority to hold (a) presidential and (b) parliamentary elections.

The UK supports and commends the Palestinian Authority's (PA) commitment to delivering its ambitious and necessary 'National Program for Development and Reform', based on its seven strategic development initiatives and four institutional performance and service delivery reform pillars. As part of the UK-PA Memorandum of Understanding, the PA committed to convening Presidential and Parliamentary elections within the shortest feasible timeframe. President Abbas has publicly outlined his commitment to holding Presidential and Parliamentary elections within a year. We continue to encourage the PA to work towards genuine and democratic elections within the shortest feasible timeframe.