Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of tankers owned by individuals outside Russia which are acting as part of the shadow fleet by transporting sanction-breaking oil shipments.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has now sanctioned 545 ships under its Russia sanctions regulations. Russian oil cargoes carried on ships specified by the UK in the first half of 2025 dropped off by an estimated 28 per cent and were worth approximately $4.5 billion less, comparing prior cargoes to the three months post-specification. Establishing a shadow fleet, including replacing capacity lost to UK and partner sanctions has cost Russia at least $14 billion. Russia's oil export revenues are now at their lowest since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the start of last month (December 2025), nearly 180 million barrels of Russian oil were sitting in tankers undelivered - up 28 per cent since August 2025.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the monetary value to Russia of sanction-breaking oil carried in the shadow fleet.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has now sanctioned 545 ships under its Russia sanctions regulations. Russian oil cargoes carried on ships specified by the UK in the first half of 2025 dropped off by an estimated 28 per cent and were worth approximately $4.5 billion less, comparing prior cargoes to the three months post-specification. Establishing a shadow fleet, including replacing capacity lost to UK and partner sanctions has cost Russia at least $14 billion. Russia's oil export revenues are now at their lowest since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the start of last month (December 2025), nearly 180 million barrels of Russian oil were sitting in tankers undelivered - up 28 per cent since August 2025.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of ships in the Russian shadow fleet.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has now sanctioned 545 ships under its Russia sanctions regulations. Russian oil cargoes carried on ships specified by the UK in the first half of 2025 dropped off by an estimated 28 per cent and were worth approximately $4.5 billion less, comparing prior cargoes to the three months post-specification. Establishing a shadow fleet, including replacing capacity lost to UK and partner sanctions has cost Russia at least $14 billion. Russia's oil export revenues are now at their lowest since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the start of last month (December 2025), nearly 180 million barrels of Russian oil were sitting in tankers undelivered - up 28 per cent since August 2025.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps are being undertaken to promote UK investment in critical minerals and other resources outside of regions where forced labour is a significant risk, such as Xinjiang.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As set out in the UK's Critical Minerals Strategy, we are working through bilateral and multilateral initiatives to promote transparent, sustainable, and responsible supply chains that uphold robust labour standards.
Last year the UK worked with multilateral partners to agree the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan, and G20 Critical Minerals Framework. We support global standards such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which helps businesses operate responsibly in high-risk areas.
In addition, the Modern Slavery Act requires large businesses operating in the UK to report annually on steps taken to combat forced labour in their supply chains, and the Government is reviewing its approach to responsible business conduct as part of the Trade Strategy. This includes assessing the effectiveness of current measures and exploring alternative ways to prevent human rights abuses in supply chains.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps to ensure that bilateral and multilateral mineral-security initiatives signed by the United Kingdom include binding anti-forced-labour standards.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As set out in the UK's Critical Minerals Strategy, we are working through bilateral and multilateral initiatives to promote transparent, sustainable, and responsible supply chains that uphold robust labour standards.
Last year the UK worked with multilateral partners to agree the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan, and G20 Critical Minerals Framework. We support global standards such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Mineral Supply Chains which helps businesses operate responsibly in high-risk areas.
In addition, the Modern Slavery Act requires large businesses operating in the UK to report annually on steps taken to combat forced labour in their supply chains, and the Government is reviewing its approach to responsible business conduct as part of the Trade Strategy. This includes assessing the effectiveness of current measures and exploring alternative ways to prevent human rights abuses in supply chains.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to review sanctions on Russian assets: and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation licensing rules to require owners to maintain sanctioned properties.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We keep our sanctions powers, regimes, designations and measures under review to respond to new developments and changing circumstances.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) may issue general or specific licences on behalf of His Majesty's Treasury to allow activities otherwise prohibited by an asset freeze, such as payments for existing obligations or property maintenance. However, a licence only permits these actions - it does not require the designated person to carry them out. Maintenance or repairs will occur only if they choose to do so.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent engagement His Majesty’s Government has had with IGAD about a) food security and b) regional stability in East Africa.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain in regular contact with members of IGAD on a range of regional issues, including through the UK's Representative to IGAD based in Djibouti.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will ensure that her Department has contingency plans in place to respond to any invasion or hostile act against Greenland by a foreign power.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has been the long-standing policy of the United Kingdom under successive governments never to speculate on hypothetical operational responses to hypothetical scenarios.
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate, where she set out in comprehensive terms the UK's position on Greenland.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the proposed visit to China later this month is planned to be proceeded with irrespective of the outcome of His Majesty’s Government’s determination of the planning application for China’s new embassy.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister's travel will be confirmed in the usual way.
This Government is taking a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can and challenge where we must.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has considered the potential merits of hosting a stand alone UK-Africa summit in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government regularly engages with African countries and African regional bodies. Any announcements of future summits to be hosted, or attended by, the UK Government will be made in the normal way in due course.