Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported decision by the government of Israel not to grant visas to EU delegates to monitor the forthcoming Palestinian elections because of restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Independent election monitoring is vital for free and fair elections. We understand Covid-19 has prevented largescale international observation missions like those seen in 2006. However, we are also clear that the presence of international observers remains important to ensure elections are credible. We expect international observes to be granted visas where appropriate.