Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further the answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 29 April (HL Deb col 1188), whether the question of Palestinian children’s textbooks advocating violence was raised with Prime Minister Mustafa on his visit to the UK; and if not, when it will next be raised with the Palestinian Authority.

We have a regular dialogue with both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Government of Israel in which we reiterate the need for both sides to prepare their populations for peaceful coexistence, including by promoting a more positive portrayal of one another to contribute to building the conditions needed for a peace. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a culture of peaceful coexistence and a negotiated solution to the conflict. Instead, we encourage promoting a more positive portrayal of one another to contribute to building the conditions needed for a peace. Our partnership with the PA includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. We have been clear that any incitement to hatred or violence in children's textbooks is unacceptable and has no place in education. The UK regularly raises this issue with the Palestinian Authority, including most recently at official level on the 9 May.