Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the imminent demolition of the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran.

On 23 November the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr. Ellwood), raised with the Israeli Ambassador the concerns expressed in the House of Commons about plans to demolish the Bedouin village of Umm al-Hiran in the Negev. Minister Ellwood also issued a public statement on 23 November, calling on the Israeli authorities and Bedouin community to work together to find a solution that meets the needs and respects the rights of the people affected.