Written question asked by Lord Beamish (Labour) on Wednesday, 23 March 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 6 April 2005. It was answered by Bill Rammell (Labour) on Wednesday, 6 April 2005 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his latest assessment is of progress made by the Palestinian Authority in reform of its security apparatus.

Answer: Mr. Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest assessment is of progress made by the Palestinian Authority in reform of its security apparatus. [224222] Mr. Rammell: Following the pledges made at Sharm el Sheikh on 8 February and the London Meeting on 1 March, the Palestinian leadership has made progress with security reform, but the situation remains fragile. Both Israelis and Palestinians agree that security co- operation has improved sharply, with local and national commanders meeting frequently. The Israel Defence Forces credit the Palestinian Authority (PA) with closing a number of smuggling tunnels in Gaza, and for making real efforts against rocket attacks. The handover of West Bank cities, as agreed at Sharm el Sheikh, is progressing. Jericho was handed over to the PA on 16 March and Tulkarem on 21 March. On 17 March President Abbas reached an agreement with 12 Palestinian militant groups to extend the current period of calm until the end of 2005. The PA still has a great deal to do. The agenda for security reform was set out in the conclusions of the London Meeting on 1 March. The United States is leading in the efforts to assist the PA in achieving its goals. General Ward (regional security co-ordinator) has established his office and is already working with Palestinian officials. We will continue to work to ensure that this reform programme is successful in the longer term.

Secondary information