My noble friend the Commercial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Deighton) has today made the following written ministerial statement.
Under the Terrorist Asset-Freezing etc. Act 2010 (“TAFA 2010”), the Treasury is required to report to Parliament, quarterly, on its operation of the UK’s asset-freezing regime mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1373.
This is the 14th report under the Act and it covers the period from 1 July 2014 to 30 September 2014. This report also covers the UK implementation of the UN al-Qaeda asset-freezing regime and the operation of the EU asset-freezing regime in the UK under EU regulation (EC) 2580/2001 which implements UNSCR 1373 against external terrorist threats to the EU. Under the UN al-Qaeda asset-freezing regime, the UN has responsibility for designations and the Treasury has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under the Al-Qaeda (Asset-Freezing) Regulations 2011. Under EU regulation 2580/2001, the EU has responsibility for designations and the Treasury has responsibility for licensing and compliance with the regime in the UK under part 1 of TAFA 2010.
Annexes A and B to this statement provide a breakdown, by name, of all those designated by the UK and the EU in pursuance of UN Security Council Resolution 1373. The two individuals subject to restricted designations under section 3 of the Act are denoted by A and B.
The following table sets out the key asset-freezing activity in the UK during the quarter ending 30 September 2014:
TAFA 2010 | EU Reg (EC) 2580/2001 | Al-Qaeda regime UNSCR1989 | |
---|---|---|---|
Assets frozen (as at 30/09/2014) | £50,000 | £11,0001 | £55,0002 |
Number of accounts frozen in UK (at 30/09/2014) | 49 | 10 | 25 |
New accounts frozen (during Q3 2014) | 5 | 0 | 2 |
Accounts unfrozen (during Q3 2014) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Total number of designations (at 30/09/2014) | 33 | 353 | 287 |
Number of designations that were confidential | 1 | 0 | 0 |
(i) New designations (during Q3 2014) | 4 | 0 | 8 |
(ii) Delistings (during Q3 2014) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
(iii) Individuals in custody in UK (at 30/09/2014) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
(iv) Individuals in UK, not in custody (at 30/09/2014) | 3 | 0 | 3 |
(v) Individuals overseas (at 30/09/2014) | 18 | 104 | 217 |
(vi) Groups | 8 (0 in UK) | 25 (1 in UK) | 67 |
Individuals by nationality (i) UK Nationals5 (ii) Non UK Nationals | 11 14 | n/a | n/a |
Renewal of designation (during Q3 2014) | 5 | n/a | n/a |
General Licences (i) Issued in Q3 (ii) Amended (iii) Revoked | (i) 0 (ii) 0 (iii) 0 | ||
Specific Licences: (i) Issued in Q3 (ii) Amended (iii) Expired (iv) Refused /Expired | 6 0 1 0 | 0 0 0 0 | 2 0 0 0 |
1This does not duplicate funds frozen under TAFA. 2This figure reflects the most up-to-date account balances available and includes approximately $64,000 of funds frozen in the UK. This has been converted using exchange rates as of 30/09/2014. Additionally the figures reflect an updating of balances of accounts for certain individuals during the quarter, depleted through licensed activity. 3This figure is based on ex-designations where the UK freeze forms the prior competent authority decision for the EU freeze. 4There was an EU delisting in Q2 (FAHAS) that was not reflected in the Q2 report. This is now corrected. 5Based on information held by the Treasury, some of these individuals hold dual nationality. |