Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Oral Statement of 28 October 2024 on Middle East, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the application of additional sanctions to further extremist illegal settlers and illegal settlement-related organisations.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our position on Israeli settlements in the West Bank is clear. They are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution. We strongly condemn settler violence and the actions of those who seek to incite violence and inflame tensions, and we call on Israel to act accordingly. As the occupying power, Israel has an obligation to protect the civilian Palestinian population in the West Bank. On 15 October we sanctioned three outposts and four entities linked to West Bank violence, under the Global Human Rights regime. The UK is considering all options to support a more stable West Bank. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Israeli counterpart to urge that government to not implement the Knesset legislation on UNRWA passed on 28 October 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have expressed serious concern at the UNRWA bills that Israel's Knesset has now passed. This legislation risks making UNRWA's essential work for Palestinians impossible, jeopardising the entire international humanitarian response in Gaza and delivery of essential health and education services in the West Bank. The UK and six allies issued a joint statement on 27 October expressing our grave concern and urging Israel to ensure UNRWA can continue its lifesaving work. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this to Israel's Foreign Minister Katz on 27 October. We will continue working with our international partners and through the UN to press Israel to ensure that UNRWA can continue its vital operations.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with (a) his US counterparts and (b) the F-35 Joint Programme Office on the steps necessary to limit the availability of UK component parts in the F-35 Global Supply Chain to exclude Israel without impacting other partner nations.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have regular discussions with our international counterparts, including the US, on a range of issues relating to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Our licensing decisions are based on our own processes. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement on 2 September to Parliament, exports to the F-35 Programme are excluded from this suspension.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his (a) US counterpart and (b) the F-35 Joint Programme Office on the (i) management of the global supply chain and (ii) sale of (A) F-35s and (B) UK-made F-35 components to Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have regular discussions with our international counterparts, including the US, on a range of issues relating to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Our licensing decisions are based on our own processes. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement on 2 September to Parliament, exports to the F-35 Programme are excluded from this suspension.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with F-35 Global Supply Chain partner nations on the (a) management of the Global Supply Chain and (b) sale of F-35s and UK-made F-35 components to Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have regular discussions with our international counterparts, including the US, on a range of issues relating to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Our licensing decisions are based on our own processes. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in his statement on 2 September to Parliament, exports to the F-35 Programme are excluded from this suspension.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement of 2 September 2024 on Middle East Update, Official Report, column 37, if he will hold discussions with counterparts in other countries involved in the F-35 global supply chain on the potential merits of collectively withholding export licenses for F-35s to Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our licencing decisions are based on our own processes. At the present time exports to the F-35 Programme will be excluded from this suspension, except where the exports would go direct to Israel, for the reasons set out in the Foreign Secretary's statement on 2 September.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement entitled Middle East Update of 2 September 2024, Official Report, column 37, what information his Department holds on whether Israeli F-35 jets have been used to commit violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's robust export licensing criteria states that the government will not issue export licences if the items might be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of International Humanitarian Law. On this basis, we have suspended certain export licences for items that could be used in the current conflict in Gaza. The UK is the only producer and supplier of certain critical components of the F-35, including a global pool of spare parts used to sustain and repair aircraft in service. Any suspension to Israel alone is not possible without undermining the programme overall, which would have serious implications for international peace and security.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral contribution of 2 September 2024 on Middle East, Official Report, column 37, what discussions he had with his counterpart in the US Government prior to his decision not to suspend export licences for F-35 fighter jet components.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to his US counterpart about a wide range of issues. Our licencing decisions are based on our own processes and are not led by the decisions of others.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement entitled Middle East Update of 2 September 2024, Official Report, column 37, what assessment he has made of whether equipment relating to licenses that have not been suspended could be used in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK assesses export licences against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (SELC), which state that a licence will not be granted for an item if the Government determines there is a clear risk that it might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law. The export licences that were suspended by the government on 2 September effectively cover all arms exports for use in the current conflict in Gaza, except for those components for F-35 aircraft which, for reasons outlined in the Foreign Secretary's Statement and the Business and Trade Secretary's Written Ministerial Statement, have been excluded from the suspension.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion entitled Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem of 19 July 2024 on Israel’s settlement policy.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have received the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on Friday 19 July and are considering it carefully before responding. The UK respects the independence of the International Court of Justice. The government is absolutely clear on the fundamental importance of the international rule of law.