Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of recent Israeli legislation introducing the death penalty.

The UK opposes capital punishment in all circumstances, and we have raised our concerns directly with the Israeli Government about the recently-passed Death Penalty Bill.

In a joint statement with Australia, France, Germany, Italy and New Zealand on 29 March, we highlighted the discriminatory character of the bill, and urged the Government of Israel to abandon it.

And on 30 March, the Foreign Secretary raised the bill in a call with Foreign Minister Sa’ar, and highlighted Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law.