Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department (a) international blacklists and (b) the Government of India's Undesirable Contact Men are included in the criteria for the granting of residence to (a) Sudhir Choudhrie, (b) Bhanu Choudhrie and (c) other people on those lists.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Home Office does not comment on individual cases. All persons wishing to enter or remain in the United Kingdom are checked against several watchlists and databases. Non-EEA nationals who do not meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules are refused leave to enter/remain.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department uses the Government of India's list of Undesirable Contact Men as a criterion of decisions on who can reside in the UK.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
All persons wishing to enter or remain in the United Kingdom are checked against several watchlists and databases. Non-EEA nationals who do not meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules are refused leave to enter/remain.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that SFO investigations into (a) Sudhir Choudhrie and (b) Bhanu Choudhrie are (i) compliant with legislation and (ii) receive all relevant information.
Answered by Robert Buckland
As highlighted in the answer given on 24 January to PQ 210434 the SFO can neither confirm nor deny if these individuals are subject to any investigation. The SFO carries out all of its work in compliance with legislation.
The SFO also works collaboratively with law enforcement and regulatory partners to combat serious or complex fraud, bribery and corruption and share information, both in the UK and abroad. This includes membership of the newly launched multi-agency National Economic Crime Centre which was set up by the Government following the 2017 Economic Crime Review to ensure a more effective law enforcement response to economic crime.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on legal action against Mukhtar Ablyazov in relation to accusations of international money laundering.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Foreign Secretary has not discussed the case of Mr Ablyazov with the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan. We understand that he is not residing in the UK.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to improve conviction rates for (a) fraud, (b) money laundering and (c) other financial criminal activity.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The NCA estimates that there is a realistic possibility that the scale of money laundering impacting on the UK annually is at least in the tens of billions of pounds. The cost to businesses and the public sector from organised fraud is no less than £5.9 billion.
This Government has launched the new National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), which will deliver a step change in the UK's response to - and impact on - economic crime. For the first time, the NECC brings together enforcement and justice agencies (HM Revenue and Customs, the City of London Police, the National Crime Agency, the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service), other government departments, regulatory bodies and the private sector with a shared objective of driving down economic crime in the UK. It will leverage a 'whole system' approach to enhance and coordinate our collective capabilities to target, pursue and dismantle the highest harm serious and organised criminals, including corrupt elites. Where appropriate this will include prosecutions.
This Government launched the new Serious and Organised Crime Strategy on 1 November and will invest at least £48m in 2019/20 in law enforcement capabilities to step up efforts to tackle illicit finance and enhance our overall response to serious and organised crime. These will include additional investment in the multi-agency NECC; increased frontline capacity and capability to tackle fraud; and an uplift in investigative and intelligence assessment capabilities at the National Crime Agency.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate the Government has made of the level of money laundering and large-scale fraud made by way of financial transactions and offshore trust funds through the City of London.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The NCA estimates that there is a realistic possibility that the scale of money laundering impacting on the UK annually is at least in the tens of billions of pounds. The cost to businesses and the public sector from organised fraud is no less than £5.9 billion.
This Government has launched the new National Economic Crime Centre (NECC), which will deliver a step change in the UK's response to - and impact on - economic crime. For the first time, the NECC brings together enforcement and justice agencies (HM Revenue and Customs, the City of London Police, the National Crime Agency, the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service), other government departments, regulatory bodies and the private sector with a shared objective of driving down economic crime in the UK. It will leverage a 'whole system' approach to enhance and coordinate our collective capabilities to target, pursue and dismantle the highest harm serious and organised criminals, including corrupt elites. Where appropriate this will include prosecutions.
This Government launched the new Serious and Organised Crime Strategy on 1 November and will invest at least £48m in 2019/20 in law enforcement capabilities to step up efforts to tackle illicit finance and enhance our overall response to serious and organised crime. These will include additional investment in the multi-agency NECC; increased frontline capacity and capability to tackle fraud; and an uplift in investigative and intelligence assessment capabilities at the National Crime Agency.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources available to the Serious Fraud Office to undertake investigations into (a) Mukhtar Ablyazov and (b) other cases of large-scale international money laundering.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The SFO has sufficient funding to carry out its work. Funding arrangements were reviewed in April 2018 when cost-neutral changes were made to the SFO’s core budget enabling it to work flexibly and efficiently. This allows the SFO to carry out its work, including money laundering investigations that fit within its statutory remit.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, what his powers are in relation to the Serious Fraud Office.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Attorney General and Solicitor General superintend the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) as set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1987 and are the ministers responsible to Parliament for the work of the SFO. The SFO was created and given its functions and powers by the Criminal Justice Act 1987; it exercises those functions on behalf of the Crown. It is a non-ministerial department headed by the Director. The SFO is therefore independent and makes its own investigative and prosecutorial decisions independently. Part of the role of the Law Officer is to protect that independence.
The SFO also forms one of the ‘Law Officers’ Departments, and as such constitutes a public arm’s length body sponsored by the Attorney General’s Office. The terms of our sponsorship arrangement are set out in the Framework Agreement between the AGO and the SFO which was published on 22 January, replacing the 2009 Protocol document. The Framework Agreement is agreed between the Director of the SFO and the Law Officers.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential use of Unexplained Wealth Orders against Sudhir Choudhrie and related parties.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Government does not comment on the potential use of Unexplained Wealth Orders against individuals. They are available for use in cases of serious crime including arms trafficking and related money laundering.
Where assets are suspected of representing the proceeds of crime, the NCA and others consider all cases for denial and recovery activity across the full range of criminal and civil approaches, including the new tools introduced in the Criminal Finances Act such as Unexplained Wealth Orders. The Home Office continues to work with law enforcement agencies to encourage their use.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Unexplained Wealth Orders in tackling the illicit arms trade and related financial flows in London.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The Government does not comment on the potential use of Unexplained Wealth Orders against individuals. They are available for use in cases of serious crime including arms trafficking and related money laundering.
Where assets are suspected of representing the proceeds of crime, the NCA and others consider all cases for denial and recovery activity across the full range of criminal and civil approaches, including the new tools introduced in the Criminal Finances Act such as Unexplained Wealth Orders. The Home Office continues to work with law enforcement agencies to encourage their use.