Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) identify and (b) destroy Captagon (i) production and (ii) distribution facilities in Syria.

We are concerned by the growth of the Captagon industry, which as well as enriching the former Assad regime, is fuelling regional instability and generating vast revenues for criminal gangs and armed groups in Syria and across the region. We are working with international partners, including partners in the region, to raise awareness of the risks posed by Captagon. The UK has imposed sanctions on 11 individuals involved in facilitating the Captagon industry in Syria.