Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the debate which took place at the Council of Europe on 23 June 2022 entitled Consequences of the blockade of the Black Sea.

The UK Government is working with the international community to hold Russia to account over its blockade of the Black Sea. The UK strongly supports UN efforts to unlock the export of Ukrainian grain and find practical ways to open up commercial shipping routes. We are also working with the EU to increase the volume of grain exported by rail. We will continue to fund humanitarian aid and economic support for those that need it most, protecting them from the fallout of Russian aggression. We recognise the work of the Council of Europe and in particular Parliamentary Assembly to the Council of Europe, and note that recommendations will go to the Committee of Ministers in due course.