To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the Government does not publish the names of people who have lodged legal appeals against UK Government-imposed sanctions; and for what reason the Government does not publish whether law firms based in the UK are providing legal assistance to those individuals.

The Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 provides a robust, fair and transparent process for a designated person to firstly seek an administrative review of their designation and then, if not satisfied by the outcome, to challenge the decision by review in the High Court. In Court Review proceedings, the identities of claimants and their legal representatives are a matter of public record. Accordingly, the UK Government does not, as a matter of routine, deem it necessary to release specific information on law firms or their clients.

Lawyers must abide by their professional codes of conduct, enforced by independent regulators such as the Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA) and the Bar Standards Board (BSB). We welcome the fact that in response to the Russia crisis, the SRA stepped up spot checks and investigations to monitor and enforce compliance with the sanctions regime.