Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are designated as politically exposed persons in the UK; and how many relevant convictions for money laundering and/or bribery offences there have been since the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 were enacted.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on prosecutions and convictions for money laundering and/or bribery offences in the Outcomes by Offence data tool including offences as set out in the Offence Group Classification. This can be found via the following link: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

However, it is not possible to establish whether the defendant is a member of the House of Lords or House of Commons, as this information is not held centrally in the Courts Proceeding Database. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs. The Government does not maintain a register of Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) and does not hold information on how many PEPs have been investigated, prosecuted, or convicted in relation to money laundering or bribery.

The Money Laundering Regulations 2017 require businesses within the regulated sector (such as banks) to treat individuals who are entrusted with prominent public functions as PEPs, including members of a country’s legislative body. The Financial Conduct Authority provides guidance to businesses within the regulated sector on which customers should be regarded as PEPs under the Money Laundering Regulations, and how a proportionate risk-based based approach to these customers should be applied.