Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that Israeli authorities are using the approval of new settlement housing units in the West Bank as collective punishment for Palestinian acts of violence.

The UK's position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We regularly raise our concerns on this issue with the Government of Israel.