Corruption: Low and Middle-income Countries

Lord Hannay of Chiswick Excerpts

Wednesday 29th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

Of course, the noble Earl is right, and nobody would like to see that money released and able to be spent in Ukraine more than me. We have to act within the law as it currently stands and as his Government left it last year. We do not have the power, as he knows, to seize those assets in a way that is straightforward, but we will work through the courts and with our neighbours and allies, across Europe specifically, to make sure that the people who caused the damage in Ukraine are held to account and that, whenever possible, they are the people who end up paying for it.

[Lord Hannay of Chiswick (CB)]

My Lords, have His Majesty’s Government made any representations to the United States Administration about their decision not to pursue people who are involved in these corrupt practices in both directions, from developing countries into the United States and from the United States into developing countries? Are we making representations and are we sure that the Trump Administration will not do as they did over emissions by ships and torpedo an agreement that is reached by everyone else?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

As the noble Lord will appreciate, we speak to our friends in the United States about a range of issues all the time, and illicit finance is certainly one of those issues.