§ Mr. FaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken during the United Kingdom presidency of the EU to increase the prosperity of the Palestinian people. [43833]
§ Mr. Doug Henderson[holding answer 1 June 1998]: The EU remains the single largest donor of aid to the Palestinian Authority, contributing 444 million mecu (about £290 million) in financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority in the period 1993–1998. The UK Presidency is working to ensure that this commitment is maintained in future. At the instigation of the UK, the EU has engaged Israel in a dialogue on ways to improve the Palestinian economy. The Minister of State co-chaired a plenary session of the dialogue during his visit to the region in January.