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 the Middle East Peace Process of Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat's reported assertion that Palestinians who have murdered Israelis are paid higher salaries.

No UK aid is used for payments to Palestinian prisoners or their families. The UK government continues to press the Palestinian Authority (PA) to reform the prisoner payments system to become more needs-based, transparent and affordable. DFID officials most recently raised this at a 21 March 2019 meeting with PA Minister for Finance and Planning Shukri Bishari. The UK Government deplores any act of violence or incitement to violence, and our partnership with the PA includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and avoid actions that could incite violence or hatred. We continue to urge the PA to uphold this principle. UK aid to support a stable PA which can act as an effective partner for peace with Israel is essential to UK efforts to prepare the ground for a two-state solution.