To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Minister of State’s evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on 4 March 2009, with which members of Hezbollah’s political wing the Government has made contact. (264752)

On 9 January 2009 our ambassador in Beirut accompanied a group of British parliamentarians to a meeting with the Lebanese Foreign Affairs Committee that included the Hezbollah MP, Ali Amaar.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the Government ceased contact with both the political and military wings of Hezbollah in 2005. (264753)

The UK had contacts with some political officials in Hezbollah from 2001 to 2005 but no contacts with Hezbollah's military wing. Although previous discussions had been frank, they became increasingly insubstantial. The political contacts ended in 2005 as we judged that the conditions at the time, specifically the political stalemate of the Lebanese Government, meant that the talks were not productive enough to be worth continuing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of co-operation between the political and military wings of Hezbollah in seeking to commit or support acts of terrorism. (264755)

In July 2008 the decision was made by the Home Office to proscribe the military wing, which we specified as the Jihad Council and all units reporting to it. During this process a thorough assessment of all the components of Hezbollah was carried out to establish this distinction.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of reported statements by Hezbollah's leadership that there is no distinction between the organisation's political and military wings. (264756)

In July 2008 the decision was made by the Home Office to proscribe the military wing, which we specified as the Jihad Council and all units reporting to it. During this process a thorough assessment of all the components of Hezbollah was carried out to establish this distinction between those members of Hezbollah who are legitimately involved in Lebanese politics and those who are involved in violence and support terrorism. We will not have contacts with individuals whom we assess to be involved in violence.