Israel (Hansard, 13 May 2002)

§ Mr. Ancram
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral statement of 29 April 2002,Official Report, column 668, on Israel, what risk assessment has been made regarding the protection of the deployed supervisory wardens from radical groups in the west bank. [54622]

§ Mr. Straw
An assessment has been made of the monitors' security situation in Jericho. I judge this to be satisfactory in the circumstances, though it is plainly not possible to eliminate all risk. Measures have been put in place to enhance the level of protection afforded to the team. They are kept under constant review.

§ Mr. Ancram
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral statement of 29 April 2002,Official Report, column 668,on Israel, what contingency plans are in place to ensure the evacuation of the British personnel deployed as supervisory wardens. [54621]

§ Mr. Straw
Contingency plans are in place for the evacuation of personnel deployed as monitors in Jericho, as they are for staff at our consulate-general in Jerusalem. They are kept under constant review.

§ Mr. Jim Cunningham
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with(a) the UN and (b) other Governments on a role for international forces in peacekeeping between Israelis and Palestinians. [55575]

§ Mr. Bradshaw
My right hon. the Foreign Secretary is in constant contact with his US and European counterparts about the middle east peace process. He also has regular contact with the UN Secretary General and the parties. These discussions cover the full range of issues including the role of the international community in helping Israel and the Palestinian Authority achieve a ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations.
There is broad international consensus that an international peacekeeping operation cannot work without the agreement of both parties; a ceasefire to maintain; and a parallel political process. These do not now exist, so the immediate priority must be to help rebuild confidence and create such conditions for progress.