Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the Government’s sanctions policy priorities are; and whether his Department plans to publish an updated strategy.

The UK uses sanctions to deter and disrupt malign behaviour and demonstrate our defence of fundamental principles, including democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

I recently convened Ministers from across government to deepen our cooperation on sanctions, and review enforcement measures. I also discussed sanctions enforcement with leaders of the Overseas Territories during the Joint Ministerial Council. We regularly coordinate with allies including in the United States, Canada, EU and others to maximise our impact.

This month we announced our largest sanctions package against Russia since May 2023, and working with our allies we will continue to use sanctions to further restrict the revenues and military goods Russia relies on. We have also recently used sanctions to respond to Iran's malign activity, as part of UK efforts to support a more stable West Bank, and targeted members of a Russian cybercrime gang.