Money Laundering Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Money Laundering

Baroness Kramer Excerpts
Wednesday 24th November 2021

(2 years, 11 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Agnew of Oulton Portrait Lord Agnew of Oulton (Con)
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My Lords, we are certainly committed to that. I am afraid I cannot give a date yet. As the noble Lord will know, we are trying to put a huge amount of legislation through both Houses, but we recognise that it is a priority. In February this year the economic crime plan was set out. It listed seven priorities, and dealing with the issues he referred to is included there.

Baroness Kramer Portrait Baroness Kramer (LD)
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My Lords, any money launderer worth his or her salt is no longer going through the banks. They are basically engaged in Web3 and using decentralised finance, known as DeFi for short. Does the Minister understand that this makes even more critical the kind of register the noble Lord, Lord Tunnicliffe, just described, but also a register of the beneficial owners of property in the UK, which is frequently the way in which criminals, dictators and others choose to wash out their money?

Lord Agnew of Oulton Portrait Lord Agnew of Oulton (Con)
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My Lords, I refer again to OPBAS, whose role is to oversee all the regulators for supervision in this area, including those that the noble Baroness refers to. We will continue to be vigilant.