Britain will push Poland to introduce laws on Holocaust restitution, Foreign Secretary William Hague has promised.

The pledge came in a letter responding to dozens of British parliamentarians who had urged Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk to take restitution more seriously.

Mr Hague wrote: “We have a strong bilateral relationship with Poland. A proper and full resolution of these claims would serve to underline their national determination to play a leading role in Europe.”

He said the British embassy in Warsaw had regularly raised the issue with counterparts in the Polish capital.

Mr Hague wrote to Baroness Deech, who had approached him on behalf of the parliamentarians.

She said: “We appreciate the support of the Foreign Secretary, and we are looking for him to encourage action during the UK chairmanship of the International Holocaust Alliance.”