Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the debate that took place at the Council of Europe between 24 and 28 January on the poisoning of Alexander Navalny.

The debate that took place at the Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe on January 26 on the poisoning of Alexander Navalny was important and timely. We look forward to considering any recommendations that subsequently go to the Committee of Ministers. We condemn Russia's continued violations of human rights and curtailing of basic freedoms. We have repeatedly called on the Russian authorities to immediately release Alexey Navalny from his politically motivated imprisonment. We have also sanctioned 13 individuals responsible for planning or carrying out the attack on him. The UK welcomes the crucial work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on this and related issues.