§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the case of Elhannan Tannenbaum. [34063]
§ Mr. BradshawElhannan Tannenbaum—an Israeli businessman reservist colonel—has been held hostage by Hizbullah since 7 October 2000. On 3 May 2001 the then Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook), and the then Minister of State my right hon. Friend the Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson), met Mr. Tannenbaum's family. The Government are doing all they can to help and have raised this case and those of other missing Israeli soldiers with relevant countries in the region and will continue to do so, pressing particularly for access to the hostages for the International Committee of the Red Cross. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister also raised the missing Israeli soldiers during his visit to the middle east at the end of October 2001. We strongly support all efforts to secure the release of all hostages, particularly efforts led by the United Nations Secretary General.