Select committee: Foreign Affairs Committee
The UK’s sanctions strategy
Open
Opened 27 Jan 2025
Foreign Affairs Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
The Foreign Affairs Committee is seeking written evidence on sanctions scrutiny. The Committee will be considering whether Parliament should have greater oversight of the UK’s sanctions policy, and if so, how that scrutiny can be undertaken to best effect, bearing in mind the balance between the need for expediency and the need to ensure sanctions have clearly defined aims that align with wider foreign policy goals. This short inquiry will seek to establish how scrutiny could improve the effectiveness of the UK’s autonomous sanctions regimes including aims, cost-benefit analysis and delisting.
Where it stands
The inquiry is open, opened 27 January 2025.
The committee has not published a report yet.
Evidence
- 2 oral evidence sessionsLatest 10 June 2025
- 6 witnesses
Recent activity
- Correspondence from the Minister of State for Europe, North America, and UK Overseas Territories, relating to sanctions, dated 11 December 202516 December 2025, Correspondence
- Correspondence from the Economic Secretary relating to the OFSI Annual Review, dated 15.10.2528 October 2025, Correspondence
- Correspondence with the Defence Committee, relating to parliamentary scrutiny of sanctions, dated 23.07.25 and 02.07.253 September 2025, Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Jun 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Chloe Cina · Cina Consulting,
Oliver Windridge · The Sentry,
Sir David Natzler KCB · House of Commons
|
View ↗ |
| 4 Feb 2025 |
Foreign Affairs Committee
Freya Page · Kharon,
Maya Lester KC · Brick Court Chambers,
Tom Keatinge · Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
|
View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Chloe Cina · International Sanctions Lawyer | Cina Consulting | 1 |
| Freya Page · Director of Global Outreach | Kharon | 1 |
| Maya Lester KC · Senior Barrister | Brick Court Chambers | 1 |
| Oliver Windridge · Senior Advisor | The Sentry | 1 |
| Sir David Natzler KCB · Former Clerk of the House (2015-2019) | House of Commons | 1 |
| Tom Keatinge · Director of the Centre for Financial Crime and Security | Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) | 1 |
Correspondence
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| Published | Direction | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec 2025 | Not recorded | Correspondence from the Minister of State for Europe, North America, and UK Overseas Territories, relating to sanctions, dated 11 December 2025 |
| 28 Oct 2025 | Not recorded | Correspondence from the Economic Secretary relating to the OFSI Annual Review, dated 15.10.25 |
| 3 Sep 2025 | Not recorded | Correspondence with the Defence Committee, relating to parliamentary scrutiny of sanctions, dated 23.07.25 and 02.07.25 |
| 3 Sep 2025 | To committee | Letter from the Minister of State for Europe, North America and UK Overseas Territories, relating to sanctions, dated 24.07.25 |