Written question asked by Baroness Tonge (Independent Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 18 January 2016, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 1 February 2016. It was answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative) on Monday, 25 January 2016 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Israel: Prisons

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the level of involvement of the British company G4S in running prisons in Israel.

Answer: While the British Government has not made an assessment of the level of involvement of G4S in the running of Israeli prisons, we have made clear in meetings with G4S our concerns about Israel’s conduct of the occupation. In April 2013, G4S publicly confirmed that they would not renew a number of security contracts in the West Bank ‘to ensure that G4S Israel business practices remain in line with our own business ethics policy’. These include the servicing of security equipment at Ofer Military Prison, at West Bank checkpoints and at a police station in the contentious E-1 area of the West Bank.

Secondary information