Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies on UK aid to the Palestinian Authority of the decision by that Authority to pay directly the salaries of convicted terrorists.

At the time of responding to this question, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has not yet confirmed or announced that it will provide payments to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails directly. UK officials are in contact with the PA to monitor the situation and the British Consul-General in Jerusalem is planning to meet with a senior Palestinian representative as soon as possible to discuss this.