Palestine (Hansard, 28 February 1995)

§ Mr. Duncan
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met Mr. Yasser Arafat.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs last met Mr. Arafat on 28 November 1994 in Brussels.

§ Mr. Duncan
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to meet the chairman of the Palestine National Authority.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans at present to meet Mr. Arafat. However, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister plans to meet him in Gaza in March.

§ Mr. Duncan
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's policy for the promotion of United Kingdom trade with the Palestine National Authority.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
We encourage it. We consider such trade to be mutually beneficial in its own right and supportive of the middle east peace process. The Prime Minister will be accompanied by a party of senior business leaders on his visit to Israel, the occupied territories and Jordan next month.

§ Mr. Duncan
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to visit(a) Gaza and (b) the west bank.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has no plans at present to do so. However, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister plans to visit Gaza in March.