§ The Earl of Sandwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have made any representations to the Israeli Government about Israel's proposal to establish a new settlement named Ma'ale Rehavam in memory of the late Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi and about the planned addition of 3,000 new housing units at Ma'ale Adumin, beside East Jerusalem. [HL1706]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos)We regularly remind the Israeli Government that we consider settlement activity illegal. We support the recommendations of the Mitchell committee, accepted by both parties, that all settlement activity, including natural growth, should be frozen. According to our information, the Defence Ministry approved 496 new 207WA units in Ma'ale Adumim on 28 May 2001 and 38 on 25 June 2001. We are not aware of any proposed new settlements to be named after Rehavam Ze'evi, but understand that two existing settlements might be renaming themselves in his memory.