Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the extent of potential UK influence on EU sanctions policy after the UK has left the EU.

UK and EU partners will continue to face the same threats, for which sanctions will remain a valuable and effective tool. The UK is a global leader on sanctions and has always played a leading role in the proposal, design and negotiation of EU sanctions. The Political Declaration, setting out the long-term vision for our partnership, envisages continued close UK-EU consultation and cooperation on the development of sanctions where appropriate, while enabling both to pursue independent sanctions policies. During and after the Implementation Period, we will maintain close cooperation and work closely with the EU and EU Member States, in order to ensure that sanctions are designed and implemented effectively. Under the planned Exit arrangements, the UK will be able to impose sanctions using the powers provided by the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018.