Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the Government has not sanctioned cryptocurrency mixers in the context of the (a) Russia, (b) Belarus and (c) wider sanctions' regimes.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government does not speculate on possible future designations. To do so could reduce the impact of the designations. Since 30 August 2022, UK cryptoasset businesses have been required to report certain information to the Treasury when encountering a designated person, or where they become aware of a breach of financial sanctions regulations. Failure to comply with these reporting obligations is an offence and can result in a criminal prosecution or a fine. The UK is actively engaging internationally through the Financial Action Task Force to ensure that the illicit finance risks represented by cryptoassets are mitigated at a global level.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times have officials from the (a) Department for Transport, (b) HM Treasury and (c) the Department for International Trade have contacted his Department's (i) ministers and (ii) officials on waivers, exceptions and licences in relation to the UK's sanctions regime on (A) Russia and (B) Belarus.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All sanctions regimes contain a number of statutory exceptions and licensing powers to help to ensure that the effects of sanctions are proportionate and avoid unintended consequences. While the FCDO works closely with other departments across government on sanctions, under sanctions regulations, the FCDO has no formal role in the issue of licences by the UK Government for (A) Russia and (B) Belarus. The FCDO does not maintain a central record of contacts from other departments on those issues.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) proceedings and (b) fines have been issued for breaches of the UK's sanctions regime on (i) Russia and (ii) Belarus in the period since 24 February 2022; and what the total value of fines has been for those breaches.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
HM Treasury, through the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), is the UK’s competent authority responsible for the implementation of financial sanctions. It is therefore the body responsible for civil enforcement of financial sanctions breaches.
OFSI does not issue proceedings in response to financial sanctions breaches. The details of civil monetary penalties issued by OFSI are published on GOV.UK here [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/enforcement-of-financial-sanctions].
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any people designated under the UK’s sanctions regime for (a) Russia and (b) Belarus have been granted access to frozen assets.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Where there are derogations set out in the sanctions regimes, and where the conditions of those derogations have been met, HM Treasury, through the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), may authorise activity that would otherwise be prohibited, including the use of frozen funds.
Licences have been issued under the Russia and Belarus sanctions regimes. Information regarding licences issued can be found in OFSI’s Annual Review documents, which are publicly available on OFSI’s website.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to tackle instances where businesses circumvent sanctions on Belarus; and if he will meet with the hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden to discuss this matter.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HMRC is responsible for enforcing trade sanctions and investigating potential breaches of those controls.
We use a range of enforcement options such as education, warning letters, issuing compound settlements, seizures, disruptions and in the most serious of cases, referral to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration for prosecution.
We undertake a preliminary assessment into all credible intelligence/allegations of trade sanctions offences and work with other government departments and international partners to identify high-risk movements.
Any UK person or company that is in breach of trade sanctions potentially faces a heavy fine or imprisonment.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to tackle instances where businesses circumvent sanctions on Belarus; and if he will meet with the hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden to discuss this matter.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HMRC is responsible for enforcing trade sanctions and investigating potential breaches of those controls.
We use a range of enforcement options such as education, warning letters, issuing compound settlements, seizures, disruptions and in the most serious of cases, referral to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration for prosecution.
We undertake a preliminary assessment into all credible intelligence/allegations of trade sanctions offences and work with other government departments and international partners to identify high-risk movements.
Any UK person or company that is in breach of trade sanctions potentially faces a heavy fine or imprisonment.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the arrest by the Belarusian authorities of former presidential candidate Andrey Dmitriev.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The detention of Andrey Dzmitryeu is a further unacceptable act of repression by the Belarusian authorities. It is the right of citizens in a democracy to stand in elections. Mr Dzmitryeu should not face persecution for his political views.
There are nearly 1500 political prisoners in Belarus and we urge authorities to release them all, immediately and unconditionally. We continue to work on accountability measures for human rights violations, including through the International Accountability Platform for Belarus and our sanctions regime.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opposition movement in Belarus; and what plans they have, if any, to meet with the opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya last visited the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on 9 March 2022, where she met the Rt. Hon. James Cleverly, then Minister for Europe. Although there are currently no firm plans in place for a future visit, the UK remains in regular contact with Mrs Tsikanouskaya and other prominent Belarusian civil society figures.
The UK Government continues to urge the Belarusian authorities to end their repression of their own citizens, enter into an inclusive dialogue with the democratic opposition and civil society, and offer the Belarusian people the genuine choice of government that they both want and deserve.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts about the consequences for his policies of recent meetings in Belarus between Russian and Belorussian military officials.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Foreign Secretary is in regular contact with international partners on all aspects of Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. Discussions with partners frequently consider the role of the Lukashenko regime in providing support to Putin's unprovoked and illegal war in Ukraine.
The UK Government condemns Lukashenko's collaboration with Russia and takes every opportunity to remind the Belarusian regime that there will be serious consequences if they become more directly involved in Russia's war. We also urge Belarus to re-consider its 'grouping of forces' with Russia in southern Belarus, which risks escalating regional instability.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment has he made of the degree of involvement of Belarus in Russia’s war against Ukraine since February 2022.
Answered by James Heappey
Belarus has been a crucial enabler of Russia's prosecution of its war against Ukraine; Russian military forces invaded Northern Ukraine from Belarusian territory on 24 February 2022. Even after these forces were forced to withdraw in March, Belarus has continued to host Russian military forces, including aircraft and surface missiles that have continued to regularly launch strikes into Ukraine. The Lukashenko regime is being made to feel the consequences for its support for Putin. The government continues to hold the Belarusian regime to account for its facilitation of and ongoing support to Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.