Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of retail businesses operating as a front for money laundering.

The 2020 National Risk Assessment on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing found that cash-based money laundering risks remain high, often involving cash-intensive businesses such as retail used to mask criminal sources of wealth.

The Treasury collaborates closely with law enforcement to track criminal trends and allocate resources to address the most significant threats. An updated National Risk Assessment on Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, covering cash-based money laundering risks, will be published later this year.