To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his oral answers to the hon. Members for Islington North and Lewes of 20 October 2009, Official Report, columns 757 and 773, what steps he is taking to persuade Israel to (a) abandon its nuclear capability and (b) sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. (295576)

We are clear in our call, both privately and publicly, on Israel to accede to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. We also call on Israel to ratify the comprehensive test ban treaty.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Permanent Under Secretary, Peter Ricketts, emphasised our commitment to a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction in meetings during his visit to Israel earlier this month.

We continue to believe that a negotiated solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, delivering a viable Palestinian State alongside a secure Israel, is a critical part of achieving peace and security in the region.