Question: What is your assessment of Abu Mazen? Is he in a difficult position in relation to Yasser Arafat, who still retains a lot of power and popularity?

Alan Duncan: I think he's in, realistically, a strong position as someone to do business with...And given they need trust on both sides, he's a good interlocutor for the road map to have a chance.

Question: Is a ceasefire with terrorist groups satisfactory, or are the Palestinian leaders merely appeasing the groups rather than rounding them up?

Alan Duncan: One senior Israeli said, 'we'll judge them on their efforts more than their threats' by which he means that he appreciates the difficulty Abu Mazen has in controlling rejectionist elements in the same way as any Israeli prime minister will have difficulty with virulent settler opinions.

So although there's suspicion the ceasefire may not be permanent, if there is evidence of the dismantling of terrorist activity by asserting security control of Gaza and the West Bank on the Palestinians by the Palestinians then that I think would help build up confidence.

Question: Are the Israelis doing enough to dismantle settlements on the West Bank?

Alan Duncan: Well it will happen, but by degrees and according to agreements that are reached. There have been a few small settlements dismantled but a lot of these are not things that can be dismantled because they are massive, concrete towns with substantial apartment blocks and shops and schools.

So some will have to be abandoned, some will be included in a newly-drawn Israeli border which compensates Palestinians by giving them another tract of land and that will be all part of the negotiations.

Question: How would you rate the chances of success for the road map?

Alan Duncan: Well, everything at the moment is to do with the roadmap and my hope is that the reciprocal steps and progress that are called for in the road map will be met, and that bit by bit each side can work their way towards an agreement.

And the objective is to have a Palestinian state in 2005. Well, there'll be bumpy moments along the way, but most of the ingredients needed for a settlement, needed for an agreement, are there and have been since Camp David, so fingers crossed all round.

Question: To what is extent is the Bush administration's involvement in the Middle East peace process due to Tony Blair and his support for war in Iraq, given that they declined to get deeply involved during their first two years in power?

Alan Duncan: I think Tony Blair's been important for this process and I think that American involvement in the roadmap is critical to its success. Americans in the past have come in and out of the process and the advantage of the roadmap is that it goes across the timetable of the presidential election, which in the past has interrupted any progress.

So yes, I think Tony Blair has been an important broker but crucially it's clear that George Bush means it and he's going to see it through, and that is one of the things that gives me grounds for optimism.