Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) individuals, (b) corporations and (c) other entities had assets frozen (i) in the UK, (ii) in the British Overseas Territories and (c) by UK-based institutions as a result of the sanctions applied to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2017, and what estimate he has made of the value of those assets.

The approximate aggregate value of funds frozen in the UK (under EU Regulation 1183/2005 Democratic Republic of Congo) was £ 580,000 at the close of business on 30 September 2016. The figures for the 2017 round of UK frozen funds reporting are in the process of being finalised and as such are not currently available. The frozen funds continue to belong to the individuals and entities listed under the Regulation and are not seized or otherwise held by HM Government. The figure is provided on an aggregate basis so as not to indirectly disclose the value of funds held by particular individuals or entities.

British Overseas Territories adopt all Sanctions listings that the UK do, to be in line with international standards. The specific information on the number of people or entities who have assets frozen in the overseas territories lies with the individual territories themselves.