Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the UK has not opted into EU Directive 2018/1673 on combating money laundering by criminal law.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
As set out in the Eighth Annual Report to Parliament on the Application of Protocols 19 and 21 to the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the Union (TFEU) in Relation to EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Matters (1 December 2016 – 30 November 2017) (Cm 9580), the UK Government decided not to opt into the EU Directive on combating money laundering by criminal law as our domestic legislation is already largely compliant with the Directive’s measures, and in relation to the offences and sentences set out in the Directive, the UK already goes much further. Therefore, it was not considered that opting in would enhance the UK’s approach to tackling money laundering.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the equivalence of the UK's corporate liability regime achieve with article 7 (the liability of legal persons) of EU Directive 2018/1673 on combating money laundering by criminal law.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
As set out in the Eighth Annual Report to Parliament on the Application of Protocols 19 and 21 to the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the Union (TFEU) in Relation to EU Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Matters (1 December 2016 – 30 November 2017) (Cm 9580), the UK Government decided not to opt into the EU Directive on combating money laundering by criminal law as our domestic legislation is already largely compliant with the Directive’s measures, and in relation to the offences and sentences set out in the Directive, the UK already goes much further. Therefore, it was not considered that opting in would enhance the UK’s approach to tackling money laundering.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the salary exemption for nurses working in the UK under Tier 2 visas will continue after the UK has left the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
In their report, EEA migration in the UK, the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended maintaining the existing system of salary thresholds.
The Government has been clear that we will undertake an extensive programme of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK, including with the private, public and voluntary sector and local government, as well as industry representatives and individual businesses before taking a final decision on the level of salary thresholds.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the investigations into high-end money laundering opened by the National Crime Agency have resulted in charging decisions since 2014.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The number of investigations into high end money laundering opened by the National Crime Agency which have resulted in charging decisions since 2014 are as follows:
• 2014/15 – 34
• 2015/16 – 17
• 2016/17 – 8
• 2018/19 – 10
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations into high-end money laundering have been opened by the National Crime Agency in each year since 2014.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The number of new investigations launched by the National Crime Agency into high end money laundering by financial year since 2014 are as follows:
• 2014/15 – 2 new
• 2015/16 – 5 new
• 2016/17 – 8 new
• 2017/18 – 20 ne
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the 2018-19 budget is for the National Crime Agency's international corruption unit.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The annual budget for the National Crime Agency's International Corruption Unit for 2018-19 is £4.32 million.
In addition to Department for International Development funding, the NCA significantly enhances the International Corruption Unit's capability by the use of NCA funded resources across all areas of business both in the UK and overseas. It is not possible to quantify this additional funding from across the NCA.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people employed by his Department work in the UK Financial Intelligence Unit.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The UK Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU) is a department within the National Crime Agency (NCA). At the start of 2017/18, the UKFIU had the equivalent of 81 full-time staff. Since then, the NCA has increased its staff numbers to 109, with further appropriate increases to take place in the following years.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total annual budget for the UK Financial Intelligence Unit is for the financial year 2018-19.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The NCA does not currently have a budget figure available for 2018/19.
The budgetary figures for previous years (released under a prior PQ) are as follows:
2015/16 £3.36m
2016/17 £3.37m
2017/18 £3.49m
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the annual budget for the National Crime Agency's International Corruption Unit has been in each of the last three years.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The annual budget for the National Crime Agency’s International Corrup-tion Unit was £3.09 million in 2015/16, £4.72 million in the 2016/17 and £5.36 million in 2017/18.
In addition to Department for International Development funding, the NCA significantly enhances the International Corruption Unit’s capability by the use of NCA funded resources across all areas of business both in the UK and overseas. It is not possible to quantify this additional funding from across the NCA.
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the annual budget for the National Crime Agency's Financial Intelligence Unit has been in each of the last three years.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The annual budget for the National Crime Agency's Financial Intelligence Unit over the last three years are as follows:
15/16 - £3.36m
16/17 - £3.37m
17/18 - £3.49m