The UK is working closely with international partners to address the challenge posed by Russia's "shadow fleet", including in key maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. This includes close coordination with Allies to monitor, track and, where appropriate, take action against vessels suspected of breaching UK sanctions or transporting sanctioned oil.

The UK has already taken robust action, including sanctioning over 550 shadow fleet vessels, and working alongside partners to disrupt their activity. Recent operations have demonstrated our ability to act in accordance with international law to enforce sanctions and deter illicit trade. These actions, taken with Allies, have contributed to increased costs and operational constraints on such vessels.

We do not seek escalation, but we will continue to work with international partners to uphold the international rules-based system and take necessary measures to prevent the circumvention of sanctions that fund Russia's illegal war.

As stated in my answer to Question 105155, the UK and Ireland are jointly committed to deepening our security and defence cooperation on the full range of threats facing both our countries. That includes countering Russian aggression and supporting Ukraine.

While this particular issue was not on the agenda for that call, the Ministers did discuss countering Russian aggression and our support to Ukraine, and we continue to discuss priority issues with our Irish counterparts as and when they arise, including at Ministerial level.

The UK and Ireland continue to discuss how we can improve our security cooperation, including maritime and cyber security. On 3 December, the Foreign Secretary spoke to her counterpart Helen McEntee, Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence, about defence, security and other matters.

That follows the commitments made by the Prime Minister and Taoiseach at the UK-Ireland Summit in March 2025 to deepen defence cooperation.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers and officials regularly engage with international counterparts bilaterally and at key multilateral fora, such as at the United Nations, to discuss a range of sanctions issues including the potential impact of sanctions related to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Such discussions cover the effect of our collective sanctions, which have deprived Russia of at least $450 billion since February 2022. They cover the global impact of Russia's war on Ukraine and challenge false and damaging narratives on impact. We use sanctions to deter and disrupt malign behaviour and demonstrate our defence of international norms. Our sanctions are designed to reduce the flow of arms and funding. They are used to support peace processes and to respond to threats to international security.

We will continue to coordinate and cooperate with our international counterparts on sanctions issues at the United Nations and in a range of other fora, particularly the G7.

In April, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a further 21 UK parliamentarians had been added to Russia's 'stop list'. This is the thirteenth round of Russian 'sanctions' targeting over 800 British nationals including Ministers, parliamentarians, and those in the private sector. We have no insight into how or why Russia sanctions specific individuals, although their sanctions often seek to reciprocate UK sanctions against Russian targets - which are imposed by the Government in response to Russia's ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine.

These sanctions are an unjustified reaction to parliamentarians expressing their views freely. The UK remains undeterred by these measures. The Government will continue its principled support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, and continue tackling the national security threat posed by the Russian state.

The Secretary of State has had no discussions with Ofcom regarding Channel One Russia Worldwide or the imposition of statutory sanctions on GB News.

Ofcom is the UK’s regulator for broadcasting and by law carries out its duties independently of the Government. Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code contains rules to ensure that due impartiality must be preserved on matters of major political or industrial controversy and major matters relating to current public policy​. It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to determine whether there has been a breach of their rules and whether to apply sanctions.

Although Channel One Russia Worldwide holds an Ofcom TLCS licence, it is not available on any regulated service in the UK.

There are currently six (previously seven) UK Parliamentarians who are sanctioned by China. Russia does not always publicly or privately inform HMG of those sanctioned. However, HMG is aware of over 460 UK Parliamentarians having been sanctioned by Russia since 2022 - the vast majority have been named publicly, while a small number have been sanctioned and informed privately.

There is a UN Arms Embargo and Sanctions Regime on Darfur, which the UN renewed in March 2023. There is also a longstanding bilateral UK arms embargo in place for the whole of Sudan. In our engagement with international partners as well as in our regular statements at the UN Security Council, the UK continues to emphasise the importance of refraining from actions that prolong the conflict. We will work closely with the US, as penholders on the UN Arms Embargo and Sanctions Regime on Darfur, on its renewal by September 2024.

We do not comment on speculation. More generally, our position on the Taiwan Strait has not changed - the UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo.

None.

The proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC are frozen in a UK bank account while independent experts establish a foundation to manage and distribute the money. They cannot be moved or used without a licence from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation. We want this money to reach Ukraine as quickly as possible and remain open to any arrangement that clearly delivers this.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) undertakes an annual review of frozen assets in the UK, requiring all persons or institutions that hold or control frozen assets in the UK to report to OFSI. Details of assets reported to OFSI in 2020 are not yet available and will be published in OFSI’s 2020-2021 Annual Review.

Details of assets reported to OFSI in 2019 were published in OFSI’s 2019-2020 Annual Review. As of September 2019, £12.5 billion of frozen funds across all regimes were reported to be held by UK institutions. This figure is provided on an aggregate basis so as not to disclose the value of funds held by particular individuals.

We expect diplomatic and consular missions in the UK to respect our laws and regulations in line with their obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and UK law. We encourage parties to any disputes to resolve differences through dialogue, but the Vienna Conventions and UK law provide for a number of sanctions, including placing limits on the size of diplomatic missions and consular posts, declaring members of the mission or consular post personae non gratae or not acceptable and, ultimately, breaking off diplomatic or consular relations. Questions of law relating to diplomatic, consular and state immunity are for the courts to determine.

The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to his counterparts in the United States about how to secure a diplomatic solution to the threat posed by North Korea’s illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, most recently to Secretary of State Pompeo on 5 March.

We had hoped the talks between President Trump and Kim Jong-Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, 27-28 February, would prove a basis for progress. However, it was clear that there is more work to do espeically on the issue of denuclearisation. We welcome the US commitment to continue negotiations and continue to urge North Korea to engage in this process. We shall maintain the strict enforcement of all sanctions until North Korea takes concrete steps towards its complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation.

The UK's Sanctions and Money Laundering Act ​has not yet commenced. The UK currently implements sanctions through the EU and has been at the forefront of EU sanctions on Russia, in response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and destabilisation of Eastern Ukraine, since 2014. We welcome the fact that the EU's comprehensive package to tackle hybrid threats, endorsed at the June European Council, includes the creation of a new Chemical Weapons sanctions regime. We will continue to press for its speedy adoption. We will also push for new EU sanctions regimes against those responsible for cyber-attacks and gross human rights violations; as well as robustly enforcing the existing EU regime against Russia.

Iran's support to militant groups across the Middle East, including Hezbollah and Hamas, is a source of concern. The Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action does not address this issue as the E3+3 negotiations with Iran focused on the nuclear issue. But the prohibition on export of arms to and from Iran will continue and we will continue to respond - with our partners - to Iranian interference in the region. We call upon Iran to play a more constructive role in the region.

[holding answer 3 February 2014]: Prospective members of such trade delegations may require a visa to visit the United Kingdom. Their visa applications

would be dealt with in accordance with established visa and immigration procedures. If any of these individuals were themselves subject to sanctions, such as an EU travel ban, these applications would be refused. Equally, anyone subject to an exclusion or deportation order would generally be refused leave to enter the UK.