Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Israeli government following the announcement of further settlement building on Palestinian land in the West Bank.

I raised the issue of settlements with the Israeli Justice Minister on 6 October during my visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories from 6-8 October. The UK robustly and repeatedly raises its concerns over settlement building with the Israeli authorities, at all levels. Since the announcement of the expropriation of 988 acres of land on 31 August, the UK has made a number of representations to the Israeli authorities, making our views on the move clear, including to the Israeli Cabinet Secretary, the National Security Advisor, and the Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The UK also raised its serious concern about the Givat Hamatos announcement with Israel’s Cabinet Secretary on 2 October.