Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 1 February (HL12260), whether they have had any discussions about compensation for farmers who have had olive trees destroyed in the West Bank; and if so, (1) who those discussions were with, and (2) what was the outcome.

We are aware of the particular significance of olive trees given their status as a national symbol and the sole source of income for many Palestinian farmers. We have not discussed the issue of compensation with the Israeli Authorities. We have repeatedly raised the issue of incidents of settler violence, including the destruction of olive trees, with the Israeli authorities. We continue to stress the importance of bringing those responsible to justice and of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.