Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on the level of international sanctions imposed on the Assad regime of the recent chemical weapon attack on civilians in Idlib province, Syria.

The British Government has made clear that it condemns the use of chemical weapons by anyone anywhere and that those who use chemical weapons should be held to account. A firm international response to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons is essential. Sanctions aim to restrict the Syrian regime's willingness and ability to use such a repellent form of warfare. EU sanctions are already in place. On 20 March, additional sanctions were imposed by the EU on four high-ranking Syrian military officials for their role in the use of chemical weapons. The EU continually examines the range and scope of sanctions against Syria.