Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether UK funding to the UN’s Access Coordination Unit is used to ensure access for humanitarian personnel and goods into Gaza from Egypt.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK remains deeply concerned about the restrictions on movement and access that affect Gaza. DFID is providing £1.3 million (2018-21) to support the UN’s Access Coordination Unit (ACU), which works with all relevant parties to ensure humanitarian access to Gaza for UN and NGO workers. The ACU works with the Egyptian authorities to facilitate access through the Rafah crossing.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
What steps he is taking to ensure that UK aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories facilitates peacebuilding with Israel.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
DFID’s people-to-people programme builds support for peace by bringing together Palestinians and Israelis to promote tolerance and work on shared problems.
So far, over 1,200 young Israelis and Palestinians have taken part in holy site tours aimed at increasing understanding of religious tolerance. Ultimately the only way to achieve peace is through a negotiated two-state solution.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support her Department is providing to projects facilitating peaceful co-existence between Palestinians and Israelis.
Answered by Rory Stewart
DFID is developing a programme of support for people-to-people projects in Israel and the OPTs. UK support will help Israelis and Palestinians work together to achieve tangible improvements in their lives and build understanding between people on both sides of the conflict. The programme is aiming for launch at the beginning of next financial year.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what reports she has received on the use of aid disbursed to the Palestinian Authority for purposes related to terrorist activity.
Answered by Desmond Swayne
UK direct financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is used to pay the salaries of civil servant and pensioners. 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.