§ Mr. MarlowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the number of Palestinians that have been prevented from returning to the occupied territories since the commencement of the Gulf war; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggAccording to the Jordanian figures, some 2,000 of the Palestinians trying to return to the West Bank since 16 January have been prevented from doing so. We have raised the issue with the Israelis and expressed the hope that the normal pattern of crossings will soon be restored.