Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the decision by the Bank of England not to release gold deposited by the government of Venezuela on perceptions of the safety of the UK as a place to store assets.
Holding gold reserves on behalf of foreign central banks is a matter for the Bank of England. Furthermore, the issue regarding control of the gold reserves is the subject of ongoing litigation and it would not be appropriate for HMT to comment. Neither HMT nor HMG are a party in the legal case. As such, HM Treasury has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the decision by the Bank of England not to release gold deposited by the government of Venezuela on perceptions of the safety of the UK as a place to store assets.