Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many individuals have been convicted for breaches of the Money Laundering Regulations in each of the last five years.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston

The majority of businesses supervised by HMRC are compliant and play an important role in our financial system.

Those who fail to comply with the Money Laundering Regulations leave themselves, and the UK economy, open to attacks by criminals. HMRC takes a robust approach to non-compliance and uses a wide range of measures to tackle those who breach the regulations, including civil penalties as well as criminal prosecutions.

HMRC does not publish the data of the number of prosecutions under the Money Laundering Regulations but details of other supervisory sanctions applied can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/businesses-not-complying-with-money-laundering-regulations-in-2018-to-2019/businesses-that-have-not-complied-with-the-regulations-2023-to-2024

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2024 to Question 23506 on British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies: Companies, whether his Department plans to set a timetable for the introduction of public registers of beneficial ownership in the Overseas Territories.

Answered by David Rutley

In December, I [Minister Rutley] laid a Written Statement (HCWS150) that outlined Overseas Territories' commitments and timelines to implement public registers, either public registers accessible to all members of the public or public registers with access predicated on 'legitimate interest'. We are providing technical and financial assistance to expedite implementation in 2024 of these public registers. Where public access is predicated on 'legitimate interest' I have clearly stated to OT Governments the UK's expectation that this will be expansive, including media and civil society, among others, and an interim step to providing access to all members of the public in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how his Department has spent revenues received through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme in each year since 2017.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)

The Home Office’s share of ARIS receipts represents the core funding that would otherwise be paid by HMT as part of the regular Spending Review.

That funding supports Home Office investment in priority front line activity, including supporting and safeguarding victims, delivering the policy response to Economic Crime and the National Cyber Strategy, and delivering statutory obligations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) budget and (b) headcount was for the National Crime Agency's Proceeds of Crime Centre in financial year (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24; and how many accreditations were issued to financial investigators in each of those financial years.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)

The UKFIU and POCC are funded through a mixture of NCA core funding and external funding.

UKFIU headcount at the end of each FY:

• 2021-22 - 144
• 2022-23 - 156
• 2023-24 – 178

UKFIU budget (external funding):

• 2021-22 – £2,435,355
• 2022-23 – £2,802,527
• 2023-24 – £4,740,000

UKFIU budget (core funding):

• 2021-22 – £192,102
• 2022-23 – £192,101
• 2023-24 – £228,000

PoCC budget

• 2021-22 – £25,781
• 2022-23 – £195,780
• 2023-24 – £72,000

Proceeds of Crime Centre headcount at the end of each FY:

• 2021-22 - 22
• 2022-23 - 21
• 2023-24 – 23

Proceeds of Crime Centre Financial Investigator accreditations:

• 2021-22 - 104
• 2022-23 - 203
• 2023-24 – 251

Proceeds of Crime Centre Financial Intelligence Officer accreditations:

• 2021-22 - 493
• 2022-23 - 628
• 2023-24 – 761

Pay costs are not delegated to project areas, so are not included in these totals.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) annual budget and (b) staff headcount has been for the National Crime Agency's Financial Intelligence Unit in each of the last three years.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)

The UKFIU and POCC are funded through a mixture of NCA core funding and external funding.

UKFIU headcount at the end of each FY:

• 2021-22 - 144
• 2022-23 - 156
• 2023-24 – 178

UKFIU budget (external funding):

• 2021-22 – £2,435,355
• 2022-23 – £2,802,527
• 2023-24 – £4,740,000

UKFIU budget (core funding):

• 2021-22 – £192,102
• 2022-23 – £192,101
• 2023-24 – £228,000

PoCC budget

• 2021-22 – £25,781
• 2022-23 – £195,780
• 2023-24 – £72,000

Proceeds of Crime Centre headcount at the end of each FY:

• 2021-22 - 22
• 2022-23 - 21
• 2023-24 – 23

Proceeds of Crime Centre Financial Investigator accreditations:

• 2021-22 - 104
• 2022-23 - 203
• 2023-24 – 251

Proceeds of Crime Centre Financial Intelligence Officer accreditations:

• 2021-22 - 493
• 2022-23 - 628
• 2023-24 – 761

Pay costs are not delegated to project areas, so are not included in these totals.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how funds received by HM Courts and Tribunals Service through the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme have been spent in each year since 2017.

Answered by Mike Freer

Confiscation orders are the principal means by which the Government carries out its policy to deprive criminals of the proceeds of their crime. They are used with the intent to disrupt and deter criminality. Receipts from confiscation orders, excluding any compensation amounts, are paid to the Home Office by agreement with HM Treasury. The Home Office remains the lead department on confiscation orders, and each financial year distributes a proportion of the funds it collected to partner agencies (including the Ministry of Justice). This funding is provided by the Home Office to respective partner agencies with a primary purpose of investing in asset recovery capabilities.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, during the debate on Countering Iran’s Hostile Activities of 8 May 2024, Official Report, column 353WH, whether his Department has written to the Financial Conduct Authority on the operations of (a) Bank Melli and (b) Saderat Bank in the UK.

Answered by Bim Afolami

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) maintains a close working relationship with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). OFSI signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the FCA in November 2023, for the purpose of sharing information and intelligence.

The two banks referenced in this question, Bank Melli and Saderat Bank, are not currently designated under UK sanctions regulations.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been raised through the Economic Crime (Anti-Money Laundering) Levy since its implementation; and what estimate his Department made of the amount that would be raised prior to its implementation.

Answered by Bim Afolami

The Economic Crime Levy raised £92 million in its first year of collection (2022/23). As the Levy is collected a year in arrears, the total Levy revenue for financial year 2023/24 has not yet been confirmed.

Prior to the Levy’s implementation, the Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) forecast that the Levy would raise £100m/year. This can be found on the OBR’s website under ‘supplementary fiscal tables: receipts and other’ - https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2022/.

At Spring Budget 2024, the Chancellor increased the Levy fee for firms with revenue greater than £1 billion, to ensure we can continue to sustainably fund the government’s commitments to tackle economic crime.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will issue guidance to the directors of right to manage companies on their potential liability for fires at leasehold properties awaiting fire safety remediation; and if he will take steps to help mitigate that risk.

Answered by Lee Rowley

It has not proved possible to respond to the Rt Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Found: Members of the House with particular expertise on these issues include: Baroness Hodge of Barking DBE