Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the implications for the Middle East peace process of the Palestinian Authority's practice of paying salaries to prisoners convicted of terrorist offences.

The UK remains resolute in its commitment to Israel's security. Our clear and long-standing message to the Palestinian Authority (PA) is that the prisoner payments system should be reformed so that it is needs-based, transparent and affordable. The British Consulate General Jerusalem regularly raises this issue with the Palestinian Authority. This is also a matter that the Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed with Israeli Ambassador Hotovely in their 21 April meeting. We also have robust safeguards in place to ensure that no UK aid is used for payments to Palestinian prisoners, or their families.