Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason his Department decided to grant special licences to the law firm undertaking work on behalf of Yevgeny Prigozhin; and to what extent were Ministers (a) aware of and (b) involved in the decision.

It is long-standing government policy not to comment on individual cases.

With regards to the involvement of Ministers, I refer to my answers given at the Urgent Question on January 25^th.

OFSI assesses cases for the granting of licences on a costs-basis only, ensuring that the fees requested are reasonable in accordance with the derogations available under the sanctions regimes. This is not a judgment on the merits of the case (which is a matter for the independent judiciary), or on the character of any individuals involved.

We need to carefully balance the right to legal representation - which is a fundamental one - with wider issues, including the aim and purpose of sanctions. It is right therefore that Ministers are examining whether there are any changes that can be made to this policy.