Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the article by Thomas L. Friedman in the New York Times Mother Nature scoffs at Trump's mideast peace plan, published on 4 February, on water resources and ecology in the Middle East; and what plans they have to seek to establish permanent institutions for dialogue and action on those issues.

While we have not made an assessment of this article, the impacts of climate change are already being felt across the Middle East, including in the marine environment, and will become much worse over time. That is why climate change and the implementation of the Paris Agreement is such a high priority for this Government. We have raised concerns over access to water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with the Israeli authorities, including stressing the urgent need for Israel to take immediate and practical measures to improve the current situation and ensure fair distribution of water in the West Bank and Gaza. These resources are limited and therefore require the effective co-operation from all parties to manage them in such a manner that ensures there will be enough for all. The UK is more than tripling our spending on economic development programming - providing £58 million between 2018 and 2023. This includes helping to improve water and energy supply, particularly in Gaza.