Asked by: Chris Davies (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What recent assessment he has made of trends in the size of Hezbollah’s weapons arsenal.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We remain concerned by reports that Hizballah continues to amass an arsenal of weapons in Lebanon. We condemn the threat this poses to regional stability and that this is done in direct contravention of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701.
Asked by: Chris Davies (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of rocket fire into Israel from Gaza.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are gravely concerned by recent increases in terrorist rocket fire. Since the 6th December 2017, 27 rockets have been fired from the Gaza strip. Rocket attacks wreak havoc on the daily lives of Israelis and make achieving peace more difficult. We call on all parties to refrain from violence and to commit to a negotiated solution to end the conflict.
Asked by: Chris Davies (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority on re-joining direct peace talks with Israel without preconditions.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is committed to making progress towards a two-state solution. We regularly press both the Israelis and Palestinians to engage in direct negotiations that will lead to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. Our Consul General in Jerusalem reiterated our support for a negotiated two-state solution with Saeb Erekat, Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee, on 2 January.
Asked by: Chris Davies (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on allegations that the Palestinian Authority has given financial rewards to terrorists who have carried out attacks against Israelis.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Payments to Palestinian prisoners and their families are no longer made by the Palestinian Authority (PA), but by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. We have repeatedly raised our concerns about prisoner payments at the highest levels with the Palestinian authorities and continue to press for greater transparency in the payments. UK direct financial assistance to the PA is used to pay the salaries of civil servants and pensioners only. Our support is provided through a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank, which carries out close monitoring of PA expenditure. Only named civil servants from a pre-approved EU list are eligible, and the vetting process ensures that our funds do not benefit terrorist groups. The process is subject to independent auditing.
Asked by: Chris Davies (Conservative - Brecon and Radnorshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote trade and diplomatic connections between the UK and other Commonwealth countries.
Answered by Lord Swire
The UK is committed to strengthening its engagement with the Commonwealth. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) led a strong delegation to the Commonwealth summit in November, where the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend, the right hon. Lord Maude and I promoted trade opportunities within the Commonwealth.