Committee publication · Correspondence · 14 July 2026
Correspondence from the Minister for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan, following up on the oral evidence session on 07 July 2026, dated 14 July 2026
Summary
Minister Hamish Falconer responds to four areas raised in the Foreign Affairs Committee's 7 July 2026 oral evidence session. He clarifies that the FCDO's International Humanitarian Law unit was restructured, not dismantled, and its expertise was preserved. He provides details on UK funding to the Palestinian Authority (£116m last year, £10m this year), conditions on welfare reform monitoring, and confirms £43m humanitarian assistance to Lebanon including de-mining support.
Key findings
- IHL assessments by FCDO officials evaluate Israeli compliance across hostilities, humanitarian access, detainee treatment and displacement; reports inform export licensing but represent only one assessment method.
- IHL unit was restructured and staff moved to another team; skills and capacity were preserved despite media reports suggesting dismantling.
- UK provided £116m bilateral support to Palestine last financial year; will provide at least £10m this year, including £5.3m to sustain 5,300 PA healthcare workers' salaries via World Bank mechanism.
- Welfare reform funding to PA is not conditional on specific benchmarks given the urgent fiscal crisis caused by Israel's withholding of clearance tax revenues.
- UK has committed £43m humanitarian assistance to Lebanon including support for de-mining through Global Mine Action Programme 4; Lebanon expected to become new country of operation subject to approval.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Hamish Falconer MP, Dame Emily Thornberry MP, Aphra Brandreth MP, Uma Kumaran MP, Marsha De Cordova MP, Lord Barber, Foreign Secretary, Palestinian Authority
Notable line
“… the skills, capability and capacity that we have had in the IHL unit have been preserved and moved over into another team.”
Key Quotes
“The assessments carried out by our IHL policy officials consider in comprehensive form the Government of Israel's capability, commitment and record of compliance across all the most relevant domains of IHL: conduct of hostilities …”
“… the skills, capability and capacity that we have had in the IHL unit have been preserved and moved over into another team.”
“The UK remains committed to providing serious, practical and enduring support to the PA to support the provision of basic services, and improve its governance systems …”
“Given the purpose of this aid is to help maintain the delivery of essential public services, it has not been made conditional on progress against specific reform benchmarks.”
“The UK has committed a total of £43 million in humanitarian assistance to Lebanon in response to the current crisis …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗