Written question asked by Lord Cope of Berkeley (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Howell of Guildford (Conservative) on Wednesday, 16 February 2011.

Israel and Palestine: West Bank

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent discussions they have had with (a) the Palestinian Authority, and (b) representatives of business in the West Bank and Gaza, about how each could benefit economically from more trade with each other.

Answer: We have a detailed and ongoing dialogue with the Palestinian Authority about a number of issues related to the Gazan and West Bank economies. We also raise with the Israeli Government our concerns regarding in particular the stagnation of the economy in Gaza. We have made clear, most recently when my right honourable friend Alistair Burt, the Minister for the Middle East, visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in January, that, whilst we welcomed Israel's move from a list of permitted goods to a list of banned goods and its December announcement that it would allow some exports, more needs to be done to bring real changes on the ground. This includes reaching pre-2007 levels of exports by the middle of this year, allowing the import of dual-use raw materials for manufacture, and ensuring Gaza has access to its traditional markets of Israel and the West Bank. Reviving Gaza's economy is in Israel's interests; it will create jobs, counter radicalisation, provide an alternative to the Hamas-controlled tunnel smuggling economy and bolster Gaza's pragmatic business community.

Secondary information