Asked by: Lord Polak (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the reports of a senior World Vision official in Gaza diverting funds to Hamas, what steps they are taking to ensure that UK aid given to projects in Gaza and the West Bank is not misappropriated.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The recent allegations against the senior World Vision official in Gaza are deeply concerning. DFID does not fund World Vision operations in Gaza or the Occupied Palestinian Territories more widely. DFID’s programmes are subject to stringent safeguards.
Asked by: Lord Polak (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the total values of UK aid disbursements in the Palestinian territories given for the purpose of (1) legal assistance, and (2) promoting peaceful co-existence, in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
In each of the last five years the UK has provided the following support for legal assistance in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs):
Year | Disbursement |
2012/2013 | £340,000 |
2013/2014 | £2,011,000 |
2014/2015 | £2,550,000 |
2015/2016 | £2,655,000 |
2016/2017 | £1,000,000* |
Total | £8,556,000 |
*as this is the current financial year, this figure is subject to change.
The DFID Secretary of State is currently considering options for co-existence programmes as part of a wider examination of DFID’s programme in the OPTs. The FCO has supported several co-existence projects in Israel.
Asked by: Lord Polak (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide the names of the receiver organisations currently reported as "Supplier Name Withheld" for the £5.49 million in disbursements given to the Norwegian Refugee Council for legal assistance in the West Bank and Gaza from September 2013 to May 2016.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
All disbursements listed on the Development Tracker for the programme entitled ‘Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC): Legal Assistance to prevent demolitions and displacement in the OPTs’ have been made directly to the NRC, which is the supplier for this programme. Due to a technical issue inherent in the Development Tracker management information system, some supplier names appear as withheld when in fact they should be published. Our central management information team is working on a solution to this problem.
Asked by: Lord Polak (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 10 March (HL6654), what projects are delivered by Burj Al Luqluq Youth Centre and Silwan Youth Centre that are funded through the Bilateral Programme Budget.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Bilateral Programme Budget funded two projects run by the Burj Al Luqluq and Silwan Youth Centres, both of which were completed in March 2016.
The Burj Al Luqluq project built the capacity of Palestinian youth in East Jerusalem to become positive and active leaders in their communities. The project worked with 50 participants, male and female, who received training in communication, leadership and photography skills. They developed their employability and strengthened their national and cultural identities.
The Silwan project provided Information technology and other equipment to create a safe environment for children and adults to conduct homework and research.
Asked by: Lord Polak (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are aware of the work of Save a Child's Heart in Holon, Israel, and whether they have any plans to support Save a Child's Heart in Israel in particular by providing it with financial assistance.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Our Embassy in Tel Aviv is aware of the work of Save a Child’s Heart. They do not currently have plans to provide financial assistance to this charity but have provided funding in the past, and hosted an event for the charity at the Ambassador's Residence.
Asked by: Lord Polak (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial assistance they provide to charities and NGOs in Israel.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We currently supply funding for projects delivered by twelve non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (including East Jerusalem); ten through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund and two through the Bilateral Programme Budget. The following ten Israeli NGOs deliver projects through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund: The Peres Centre for Peace; Injaz - Centre for Professional Arab Local Governance; Kids Creating Peace; Yesh Din; Gisha; Peace Now; Terrestrial Jerusalem; The International Peace and Cooperation Centre; Rabbis for Human Rights; and the Jerusalem Community Advocacy Network. We also fund projects delivered by the following NGOs through the Bilateral Programme Budget: Burj Al Luqluq Youth Centre and Silwan Youth Centre.Asked by: Lord Polak (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority over reports that it has provided millions in monthly salaries to convicted Palestinian terrorists serving sentences in Israeli jails.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The UK regularly raises the issue of prisoner payments with the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Minister of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest West (Mr Swayne) raised the matter with PA Finance Minister Bishara during his visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in August 2014. No UK money is used for payments to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, or their families. The UK’s direct financial assistance to the PA is used to pay the salaries of public sector workers only.Asked by: Lord Polak (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health following its description of Nashat Milhem as "one of the dearest Martyrs, and his name is engraved with his pure blood, which watered the ground of our free land".
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have not raised this specific issue with the Palestinian Authority. Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority, urging them to use their influence to de-escalate the tensions. We continue to support the reinstatement of the Tripartite Committee as the appropriate channel to deal with allegations of incitement from either side.Asked by: Lord Polak (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas over recent reports that he said that violence by Palestinians constitutes a "justified popular uprising".
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Our Deputy Consul General to Jerusalem raised this issue with President Abbas's Diplomatic Adviser, Majdi Khaldi, on 17 December. Mr Khaldi informed us that President Abbas condemned violence against Israelis and Palestinians.
Asked by: Lord Polak (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations have they made to the Palestinian Authority following the seizure by Israeli customs of 4,000 incitement dolls, allegedly designed to encourage stone throwing, destined for the West Bank.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We have not raised this specific issue with the Palestinian Authority. Since the start of the current violence we have spoken regularly to both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority, urging them to use their influence to de-escalate the tensions. We continue to support the reinstatement of the Tripartite Committee as the appropriate channel to deal with allegations of incitement from either side.