asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the implications for the Palestinians of NATO's recent determination that refugees should be enabled to return to their homes and ancestral lands in areas of Euro-Atlantic responsibility such as the Mediterranean. [HL3050]

NATO's pursuit of the unconditional and safe return of refugees and displaced persons in the Kosovo context was specific to that situation.There is already an agreed framework for the resolution of the situation of the Palestinian refugees. Refugees are listed in the Oslo Declaration of Principles as one of the issues for permanent status negotiations. We hope those negotiations will start in earnest soon after the formation of the new Israeli government. The UK and EU partners are considering ways in which they might help the parties to achieve agreement on the refugee issue.