Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take to protect Palestinians who are living in East Jerusalem from forcible eviction from their homes to make way for Israeli settlers.

The British Government supports Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem facing demolition or eviction through our funding to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) legal aid programme. This helps residents to challenge decisions in the Israeli legal system. Of those cases provided with legal representation through British NRC, 97% have resulted in suspension of demolitions and evictions, allowing Palestinians to remain in their homes. We regularly make clear our serious concerns about the situation in East Jerusalem to the Israeli authorities and the Municipality of Jerusalem, both bilaterally and in co-operation with EU partners. These concerns include the evictions of Palestinians and demolition of Palestinian property; the construction of illegal Israeli settlements; the removal of residency rights from Palestinians; possible unilateral changes to the municipal borders; and the severe difficulties of access to Jerusalem for Palestinians from the West Bank, or for those residents of Jerusalem who live beyond the Separation Barrier.