Question follow-through · 128971

Shipping: Sanctions

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the legal basis is for allowing UK forces to interdict sanctioned shadow fleet vessels transiting UK territorial waters; and whether that legal basis has been confirmed in writing by the Attorney General.

answeredMinistry of Defence

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body: Ministry of Defence
Tabled: 21 Apr 2026
Target answer date: 27 Apr 2026
Answer: 29 Apr 2026 · 8 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

More questions by this MP on Defence and foreign affairs

Shared topic keywords suggest a connection; they do not establish a follow-up.

Votes on this topic

Opposition Day Motion: Defence spending and readiness - Prime Minister's Amendment · 23 Jun 2026
Opposition day: Defence spending and readiness · 23 Jun 2026
Armed Forces Bill Report Stage: Amendment 11 · 22 Jun 2026

These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.

Recorded timeline

21 Apr 2026
Question tabled
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the legal basis is for allowing UK forces to interdict sanctioned shadow fleet vessels transiting UK territorial waters; and whether that legal basis has been confirmed in writing by the Attorney General.
27 Apr 2026
Target answer date
Date supplied by the official written-questions record.
29 Apr 2026
Answer published
UK forces operate in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and domestic law.

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

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Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

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6 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions Military Aid to the Civil Authorities has been provided in the last 12 months.

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National Security: Finance

6 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what definition his Department is using of expenditure that qualifies as resilience and security spending for the purposes of the Government's commitment to spend 1.5% of GDP on this by 2035.

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National Security: Finance

9 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, given General Sir Richard Barrons' evidence to the Defence Committee on 7 July 2026 that expenditure under the 1.5% of GDP NATO resilience target has not funded the security of military airbases, the condition of

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Armed Forces: Discharges

9 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to commission an independent review of the Armed Forces medical discharge process to assess outcomes for transitioning into civilian life.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Armed Forces: Discharges

9 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what data his Department collects on the a) long-term health, b) employment and c) housing outcomes of medically discharged veterans.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Veterans: Disability Aids

9 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had regarding the future of the Veterans Mobility Fund beyond March 2027.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Veterans: Pain

9 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of recognition of chronic pain conditions within Armed Forces compensation schemes.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Armed Forces Covenant

9 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to introduce new performance measures to assess implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Veterans

9 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department requires Government departments to assess the potential impact of new policies on veterans at the policy development stage.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Armed Forces: Housing

16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the projected annual budget for the Defence Housing Strategy is for financial years a) 2026-27, b) 2027-28 and c) 2028-29.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Military Aid

16 Jul 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2026 to question 16360, how many requests for MACA tasks were a) rejected, b) withdrawn and c) reduced in scope in the last 12 months.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

National Security: Infrastructure

28 Aug 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen the resilience of UK critical national infrastructure against attack in the context of the Kremlin's statement of 25 August 2026.