Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the education of children in the West Bank of (1) restrictions on access to reliable (a) electricity, and (b) internet services, and (2) COVID-19 related restrictions on their physical attendance at schools.

It is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system to provide opportunities for the next generation. UK aid works to support the Palestinian education system; in financial year 2020/21 we provided £20m in funding to the Palestinian Authority to support the salaries of education workers in the West Bank. Our ongoing programme support to UNRWA also helps to provide education to children across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), including virtually since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. UK aid also works to address the barriers to economic development in the OPTs, including through work to improve the quality and reliability of energy. We will continue to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education of children in the OPTs but have not made a formal assessment.