Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Mitchell and Guto Bebb

Wednesday 23rd May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Guto Bebb (Aberconwy) (Con)]

1. What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of aid provided to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

[The Secretary of State for International Development (Mr Andrew Mitchell)]

Both the Minister of State, who is today attending the Friends of Yemen meeting in Riyadh, and I keep a close eye on the effectiveness of our programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

[Guto Bebb]

I thank the Minister for his response. On a trip to Israel and the west bank earlier this year, I saw education materials that incited violence and the use of Palestinian Authority broadcast media to glorify conflict, not least relating to a group of children singing about the aim to saturate their land with blood. Will the Secretary of State provide assurances that our aid donations do not contribute towards such incitement? Will he highlight what steps the Government are taking to deter the Palestinian Authority from supporting such publications and broadcasts?

[Mr Mitchell]

I can give my hon. Friend that assurance. I would be very interested to see the material he describes. I can tell him that numerous credible studies show no evidence of incitement or anti-Semitism in Palestinian Authority textbooks, so if he ensures that we get a copy of what he has seen, we will take the appropriate action.