Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the re-entry of Russia into the G8; and what assessment they have made of whether Russia should pay compensation for the damage caused since its invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the statement the Prime Minister made in the House of Commons on 25 November 2025 [Columns 219] and to the answers provided by The Lord Privy Seal to the House of Lords on Ukraine on 26 November [Columns 1390 & 1392].
Asked by: Lord Touhig (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether, as part of talks seeking an end to the war in Ukraine, they plan to raise the issue of Ukrainian children living in Russian-occupied territories being detained and taken to Russia.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answers I provided to the House on Ukraine: Forcible Removal of Children on 24 November. We remain, as ever, committed to supporting Ukrainian efforts to facilitate the return and reintegration of children deported by Russia.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
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.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
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.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what review processes does the Government have in place to assess the adequacy of its trade and investment treaty commitments for the UK-Russia Bilateral Investment Treaty.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s International Investment Agreements (IIAs) aim to enhance opportunities for UK businesses to expand overseas, with commitments that seek to limit the barriers they face, make it easier to navigate local rules, and ensure investments are treated lawfully, and protected against unfair or arbitrary action. There is no specific review process within this Agreement.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the threat of Russian-backed disinformation campaigns to (a) peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, (b) Armenian democracy and (c) relations between Armenia and the United Kingdom.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Together with our international partners, we remain committed to supporting lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and to safeguarding Armenia's electoral integrity and democratic resilience, including against any attempted acts of information manipulation and interference by Russia. Working closely with our international partners, we are always ready to defend the information environment and will always act to disrupt any malign activity targeting democratic elections. I held constructive discussions with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the OSCE Ministerial on 4 December.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Russian interference in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Hercegovina.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK opposes any attempts by Russia or other states to interfere in the internal affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The UK works with BiH authorities and international partners to counter destabilising Russian interference, including to address disinformation campaigns, dependence on Russian energy, and vulnerability to political and economic coercion. We are working to bolster independent media in BiH. This financial year we are investing £400,000 to improve BiH's cyber defences. The UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans reaffirmed our support for BiH's sovereignty during a meeting with BiH Presidency Chair Željko Komšić in London on 4 December.
I met Foreign Minister Konakovic on 5 December in the margins of the OSCE Ministerial meeting to discuss our continued support for peace and stability in BiH and the wider region.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has the Government made of its overall exposure to further potential Investor-State Dispute Settlement cases over sanctions policy on Russia.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means for investors to resolve disputes with states where they believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory, or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation.
The UK has a longstanding track record of supporting foreign investment, including through fulfilling its obligations in the international investment agreements to which it is a party and has never faced a successful ISDS claim.
The Government maintains that it has acted consistently with domestic and international law obligations in the case of the legal challenges. In view of the ongoing proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Russian Chess Federation's attempt to have sanctions against them lifted.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK Government recognises the independence and autonomy of international chess bodies. Decisions on who they include in events and competitions are for the organisers to take, within the framework of their own rules and regulations.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what review processes the Government has in place to assess the suitability of its trade and investment treaty commitments, including those over thirty-five years old, such as the UK-Russia Bilateral Investment Treaty.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s International Investment Agreements (IIAs) aim to enhance opportunities for UK businesses to expand overseas, with commitments that seek to limit the barriers they face, make it easier to navigate local rules, and ensure investments are treated lawfully, and protected against unfair or arbitrary action. There is no specific review process within such Agreements.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of a potential Ukraine-Russia peace proposal on the UK's capability commitments to NATO's Eastern Flank.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK welcomes the diplomatic efforts led by President Trump and President Zelenskyy to make progress towards a sustainable peace, and we continue to work closely with our European partners, the United States and Ukraine in support of these discussions which remain ongoing.
The UK’s commitment to NATO and Allied collective security is unwavering, as demonstrated by our commitments on the Eastern Flank. This includes the UK’s role as Framework Nation for the Forward Land Forces Battlegroup in Estonia, our regular deployments of Typhoon aircraft to support NATO Air Policing missions, and our contributions to maritime and surveillance operations in the Baltic region
These commitments remain enduring elements of NATO’s deterrence and defence posture.