Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on how many occasions in the past three years has cargo being transported in UK waters been found to contain oil sourced in or through Russia.

The UK Government constantly monitors UK waters to uphold the safety of mariners, the marine environment and the UK’s national security, which includes monitoring of ships that are suspected of being associated with the movement of Russian oil.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ships of all States have the right, subject to conditions laid down in UNCLOS, to innocent passage through UK territorial sea (the sea within 12 nautical miles of the UK coastline). As the UK is party to UNCLOS, the UK Government adheres to international maritime law and protects the passage rights of vessels transiting through UK waters.