Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) impact of the EU's sanctions on Syria since their imposition in 2012 on (a) the behaviour of the government of Syria, and (b) the economic wellbeing of the population of Syria, (2) the likely impact of those sanctions in the near future, and (3) the effectiveness of measures seeking to deprive Syria of access to oil.

These sanctions are aimed at ending the violent repression of the civilian population in Syria by the Assad regime, and achieving a negotiated political settlement to bring about a peaceful end to the conflict in Syria. We will continue to use sanctions, along with other levers, to support that goal. We have sought to minimise the impact of sanctions on ordinary Syrians. The sanctions regime prohibits giving economic resources (which may include oil) to any designated person. Baniyas Refinery Company in Syria, has been designated by the EU since 2014, for providing financial support for the regime. We keep these sanctions under regular review.