Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
23 Feb 2007 : Column 977Wcontinued
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on whether Israel is a nuclear weapons state. [122916]
Dr. Howells: We are aware of the widespread assumption that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, but note that the Israeli Government have refused to confirm it. The Government have on a number of occasions called on Israel to accede to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state, and to conclude a full scope safeguards agreement and additional protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency. We take appropriate opportunities to discuss all aspects of non-proliferation with representatives of the Israeli Government.
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the (a) EU and (b) Quartet on (i) the withholding by Israel of revenues from the Palestinian Authority (PA), (ii) international assistance to the PA and (iii) the future of the Temporary International Mechanism. [122498]
Dr. Howells: We regularly discuss all these issues with our EU and Quartet (EU, US, UN and Russia) partners. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised withheld tax revenues with Israeli Foreign Minister Livni on 2 January. We welcome Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas' meeting on 23 December 2006, and the resulting release of US$100 million in Palestinian tax revenues. We continue to call upon Israel to release all revenues withheld since 18 February 2006.
The Government are extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised her concerns about the humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories with Israeli Foreign Minister Livni on 20 February. We are committed to helping the Palestinian people through the EU-led temporary international mechanism (TIM) and other projects. The TIM has been extended by the Quartet twice, most recently in late December 2006 for three months. Following this decision the EU has agreed to increase the number of recipients, while maintaining the rigorous auditing procedures that have been applied so far.
Mr. David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cotswold of 2 January, Official Report, column 1647W, on the UN Security Council, what the Government policy is on giving a veto to representatives from (a) Germany, (b) Japan, (c) India, (d) Brazil and (e) an African representative as part of a permanent membership of an enlarged UN Security Council. [122800]
Dr. Howells: The UK takes its responsibilities as a permanent member of the UN Security Council seriously and has regularly voiced its clear support for Council reform. However, the Government do not support expanding veto rights to any new permanent members. An expansion of veto powers is unlikely to be accepted by the wider UN membership.
Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the US Secretary of State on her meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas on 19 February 2007. [122492]
Dr. Howells:
We welcome the trilateral meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, Palestinian
President Abbas and US Secretary of State Rice and their agreement to meet again in the future. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is in frequent
contact with her US counterpart and spoke to Secretary Rice about the trilateral meeting on 20 February.
Index | Home Page |