Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential implications for his policies of visa restrictions on international aid workers to (a) Israel and (b) the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and whether he has had discussions with his Israeli counterpart on improving humanitarian access to those territories.

During his first visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 14-15 July, the Foreign Secretary pressed Israeli leaders to deliver on their promise to "flood" Gaza with aid. We are concerned at reports of humanitarian agencies being unable to do their jobs because of visa restrictions. We are calling for the full co-operation of Israel with the UN and humanitarian agencies to grant visas and allow for the unfettered access required by humanitarians.