To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of changes made over the last 12 months to the operation of the back-to-back system introduced by Israel for transporting goods within the West Bank and between the West Bank and Israel; what assessment he has made of the impact of the system on (a) speed with which Palestinian goods can be transported and (b) costs of transportation; and what representations he is making on the subject. (179075)

There are currently six back-to-back crossings for commercial goods between the West Bank and Israel, and one internal back-to-back crossing in Nablus.

Transportation times have increased as goods must be unloaded and loaded at each crossing, and in some cases, goods must take a longer route to use a specified crossing. Restrictions are in place on the opening hours and capacity of the crossings. These factors have contributed to an increase in transportation costs.

DFID is supporting a World Bank study to quantify the additional transport costs these restrictions create. The study will also investigate alternate trade corridors to and from the West Bank.