Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill [Lords] Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Alan Duncan Portrait Sir Alan Duncan
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I am very happy to say that very fulsomely, because during our debate on the decision to adopt new clause 6 I was at pains to say that we are not going to desert the overseas territories, or indeed the Crown dependencies. We are fully supportive of them. We are going to work very much with them and, I hope, with the grain of their own efforts. We are not, in any way, going to sell them down the river. May I say very publicly here, and to those in the overseas territories who may be able to see and take note of this, that we are and we remain full supporters of the overseas territories, that we will fulfil our obligations to them without reservation and that we are not going to dilute our efforts in doing so?

Victoria Prentis Portrait Victoria Prentis (Banbury) (Con)
- Hansard - -

The Minister is famed for his considerable charm and experience in overseas negotiations. Will he give the House some detail about how he is going to help the overseas territories to work with the new obligations?

Alan Duncan Portrait Sir Alan Duncan
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I will indeed.

We have had spirited discussions on many aspects of the Bill, both on the Floor of the House and in the Public Bill Committee. I thank in particular the Bill team, who have given up pretty much a year of their lives to work on every dot, comma and detail of the legislation. They have been dutiful, punctilious and hard-working. They have been burning the midnight oil and have put up with my occasional tetchiness—