Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the Government of Israel on the withholding from the Palestinian Authority of approximately $150million in tax revenue, collected on its behalf.

The UK regularly engages the Government of Israel on deductions from the clearance revenue transfer to the Palestinian Authority and related losses. The UK chairs a working group covering this issue at the regular Ad Hoc Liaison Committee attended by both parties. Addressing losses and deductions from the transfer of Palestinian Authority tax revenues is critical to managing the current fiscal crisis.