Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of journalists currently held without trial by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

We do not hold this information. The British Government is committed to the promotion of media freedom and the protection of journalists, as an essential element of democracy and an important attribute of human rights. The UK supports calls for greater media freedoms in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We continue to reiterate the importance of a free and open press, and freedom of expression to the Palestinian Authority (PA). Officials from our Consulate-General in Jerusalem regularly raise the issue of freedom of expression, including the revision of relevant legislation, with the Palestinian Authority. We welcome Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh's comments committing to freedom of press and expression, and policies and legislation that will protect journalists. We continue to urge the PA to respect human rights, ensure complaints of mistreatment or arbitrary detention are properly investigated and to continue to improve the performance of the security sector.