Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the decision by the US administration to impose sanctions on staff of the International Criminal Court.

The UK regrets the recent decision of the US administration to impose sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) personnel. The UK has always been, and remains, a strong supporter of an effective ICC. While we believe that positive reform is required for the ICC to fulfil its mandate as intended under the Rome Statute - and we are working with the Court and other States Parties to achieve this, we also believe that Court officials must be able to carry out their work independently and impartially, without fear of sanction. We continue to discuss these issues with our international partners.