Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the evidence found against MQM regarding allegations of money laundering, and of the comments made by senior members of that organisation in the media about those allegations.

The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK has a robust but proportionate anti-money laundering regime. The UK’s first National Risk Assessment of money laundering was published on 15 October 2015. It identified the threats and vulnerabilities faced in this area, and an Action Plan will be published shortly, clearly setting out the steps that will be taken to address them.

The Prime Minister made clear in his Singapore speech on corruption last year that the Government is determined to make sure the UK does not become a safe haven for corrupt money. The Prime Minister's Anti-Corruption Summit in May will also consider what more the UK and our international partners can do to tackle flows of illicit finance at home and abroad.

Any investigation is an operational matter for the police and the prosecution authorities. The decision on whether to investigate a case, and then take forward a prosecution, will depend on the evidence available. The Home Office has not received representations from the Government of India in relation to allegations of money laundering offences by the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM).