To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 15 September 2008, Official Report, column 2126W, on imports: Israel, for what reasons the Government is not seeking a prohibition on the importation of goods from illegal Israeli settlements other than under the Preferential Trade Agreement. (284588)

The Government believe that the best way forward is to seek ways to offer consumers better advice on whether goods have been produced in illegal Israeli settlements. The Cabinet Office recently hosted a small roundtable meeting with representatives from food retailers and trading organisations. They discussed the draft of new, voluntary guidance on origin labelling of produce from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is currently considering the next step of public consultation.