Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) introducing tracking systems and (b) taking other steps to prohibit UK trade in goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The UK Government considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law and goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from tariff and trade preferences under the UK's current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel. The UK Government does not encourage or offer support to economic and financial activity in the settlements. We support accurate labelling of settlement goods, so as not to mislead the consumer. We routinely update our guidance to British businesses on the Overseas Business Risk website and advise British businesses to bear in mind the UK Government's view on the illegality of settlements under international law when considering their investments and activities in the region. The Government is committed to maintaining a robust and transparent export control system. We will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Criteria, including respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. The Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to consider carefully the impact of the export of items and their capabilities.

On 15 October 2024, the Foreign Secretary announced sanctions targeting three illegal settler outposts and four organisations that have supported and sponsored violence against communities in the West Bank. The Government does not comment on future sanctions measures, as to do so would reduce their impact.