§ 13. Mrs. EllmanTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of aid in contributing to the development of(a) economic opportunity and (b) civil society in the Palestinian Authority. [73843]
§ Mr. FoulkesAssistance from donors, including the Department for International Development, has been crucial in attempting to foster development in the West Bank and Gaza, although the weakness of the peace process and reduction in opportunities to work in Israel have led to a growth in poverty. We are working to help the Palestinian Authority to build a legal and institutional framework in which the private sector and civil society can flourish. But greater transparency and accountability are required, and economic opportunity remains constrained by severely restricted access to outside markets.