Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of banning trade with illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. They undermine the viability of a two-state solution. We have updated the UK's Business Risk Guidance to explicitly advise businesses against economic and financial activity in illegal settlements. Settlement goods do not benefit from preferential trade arrangements under the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement.

We are discussing further concrete steps with our partners to counter settlement expansion and promote peace and security.