§ Mr. HicksTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in sequence the actions taken by Her Majesty's Government over the decision of the Israeli Government to expel the Palestinians to the Israeli-occupied south Lebanon; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggSince the decision of the Israeli authorities to expel the Palestinians, we have issued two EC statements as presidency and supported United Nations Security Council resolution 799. In addition, the Foreign Secretary has written to the Israeli Foreign Minister, I have made our views clear to the Israeli ambassador, and EC ambassadors in Tel Aviv have made representations to the Israeli Foreign Minister. On 23 January RAF helicopters provided support to an International Committee of the Red Cross humanitarian mission to the deportees. Our position on the deportations remains clear: they are illegal and we will continue to urge the Israelis to comply with Security Council resolution 799 which calls for the immediate and safe return of the deportees.