Palestinian Territories: Development Support

Baroness Berger Excerpts

Monday 1st September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

I am afraid that there is nothing in my tone this afternoon that has been in any way lecturing or hectoring. I have been clear about our reasons for reaching a position where we feel that we have to consider recognising the state of Palestine. We will do that in the right way, in the situation that I have described and that the Prime Minister has described at great length, at the General Assembly at the end of September.

[Baroness Berger (Lab)]

My Lords, one of the most important things we can do to help create a Palestinian state that we all want to see is the Government’s work to support reform of the Palestinian Authority, which should form an embryonic state. What update can the Minister provide us specifically on Michael Barber’s vital work supporting governance reform of the PA?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

I think the noble Baroness’s question is incredibly constructive and it is our view that the Palestinian Authority is the only viable leadership for a future Palestinian state. As she said, Sir Michael Barber has been doing work for some time now on trying to improve capacity and to work with the Palestinian Authority on issues such as taxation, civic space and democratic reform, all things that we fully accept need to happen in order for a future Palestinian state to be safe and successful.