Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Dykes (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Thursday, 12 January 2006.

Palestine: General Election

Question: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that encouraging reply. Will he make sure that the Israeli Cabinet does its best to allow east Jerusalem voters—Palestinian voters—to vote in these elections? It has already indicated provisionally that it would do so. It is crucial for them to take part in what is the effectively de facto renewed attempt to secure a full, sovereign Palestinian state. That is very important. Will he also have discussions with the Israeli authorities about easing the restrictions on free movement of Palestinian voters in Gaza and the rest of the West Bank?

Answer: My Lords, we are urging everyone to facilitate the elections in every way possible and to ensure—and this is important—that there is proper security and safety for those who will observe the elections. So far, acting Prime Minister Olmert has said that he will bring a comprehensive package to his Cabinet meeting. I do not doubt the difficulties of the discussions in that Cabinet given the security issues, but the signs so far are positive. We are urging that there should be a positive outcome.

Secondary information