Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the French government about its initiative to restart the Middle East peace process to advance a two-state solution.

I have discussed the French initiative with the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, and with his envoy for the Middle East Peace Process, Pierre Vimont. We will continue to work closely with the French government to ensure that their initiative makes a constructive contribution that encourages the parties to resume negotiations.