During Dr Howells' appearance before the Committee on 14 March, Mr Mackinlay asked him whether or not HMG had expressed their concerns over TV footage showing Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldiers appearing to push young adolescents in front of them during their operations in Nablus on 8 March. The British Defence Attaché was scheduled to meet a high-ranking Israeli Officer at the Israeli Ministry of Defence on 21 March in order to raise our concerns about this. Unfortunately the meeting had to be postponed due to the illness of the key interlocutor. We understand that IDF Judge Advocate General Mandelblitt has in the meantime ordered an investigation.

  During the evidence session Sir John Stanley asked what initiatives the UK or the EU have taken to press for Israel to return to its 1967 borders. Our position is consistent and in line with UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 1397. We, along with the EU, have repeatedly made it clear that we will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders other than those agreed by both parties. The EU set out this position most recently in the General Affairs and External Relations Council conclusions on 22 January (attached). The EU underlined this position at the seventh meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council on 5 March.

  Dr Howells has also asked me to clarify his comments about US flights transiting UK airbases last summer. It was and remains UK policy to allow the transit of cargoes through UK airspace and airports provided that: (a) this does not breach international law and (b) UK procedures, including notification of cargo, are followed. The relevant procedures are laid down in the Air Navigation (Dangerous Goods) Regulations and the Diplomatic Flight Clearance Procedures. We are not aware of any flights which breached international law coming in or going through UK airspace or airbases during the Lebanon crisis.

  However, at the beginning of the crisis we became aware of flights that had transited the UK from the US to Israel without following flight procedures fully. The Foreign Secretary raised the matter with the US to ensure they were fully aware of the rules with which contracted air carriers are required to comply. There were no subsequent breaches of the rules. There were, of course, US flights transiting the UK bound for Israel and elsewhere, which did follow all the relevant procedures.

23 March 2007