Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2014 to Question 209872, and with reference to the Israeli government's recent announcement of an extra 1,060 settlement units in East Jerusalem, if he will accelerate the timetable of his discussion with EU partners on what further steps can be taken to discourage Israeli settlement activity.

Discussions are already underway in Brussels on what further measures the EU could take to discourage further settlement expansion. As the FAC conclusions of 17 November made clear, the UK and other Member States are deeply concerned by recent developments, are closely monitoring the situation and its broader implications, and remain ready to take further action in order to protect the viability of the two state solution.