Oral Answers to Questions

Virginia Crosbie Excerpts

Tuesday 8th March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Dehenna Davison (Bishop Auckland) (Con)]

1. What recent legislative steps her Department has taken to help strengthen the sanctions regime against Russia.

[Virginia Crosbie (Ynys Môn) (Con)]

2. What recent legislative steps her Department has taken to help strengthen the sanctions regime against Russia.

[Matt Western (Warwick and Leamington) (Lab)]

21. What assessment she has made of the impact of UK sanctions imposed to date on (a) individuals and (b) entities associated with the conflict in Ukraine.

--- Later in debate ---

[Elizabeth Truss]

My hon. Friend is right. Amendments from the House of Lords to the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 made it cumbersome and slow for us to sanction those individuals. They included making unlimited damages available to those individuals as well as requiring an impact test under the Human Rights Act. Yesterday’s Bill removes all of that, which means that by 15 March we will be able to sanction hundreds of individuals.

[Virginia Crosbie]

Given the barbaric invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the threats to cut off gas supplies to the west and the rising energy prices here in the UK, will the Secretary of State join me in calling for the continued expansion of renewable energy and for massively expanding and accelerating the UK’s nuclear programme to ensure that we meet net zero, dramatically lower our energy prices and ensure that we can never be held to ransom over our energy supplies?

[Elizabeth Truss]

My hon. Friend is right. The west can no longer be reliant on Russian oil and gas. We need to end dependency by agreeing ceilings with our G7 partners, agreeing a timetable for reduction and helping through price support and supply support those countries that are very dependent. Of course, nuclear and renewable energy will play a vital role in moving forward.