Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the value was of the assets seized under Unexplained Wealth Orders in 2017-18.

Unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) can be used to compel individuals to explain the sources of their wealth where it is suspected that their lawful income would be insufficient to obtain specified property, if they are a non-EEA politically exposed person, or suspected of being involved in serious crime. This is a powerful new weapon for tackling illicit finances and corruption.

Since the legislation came into force on 31 January 2018, the first UWOs have already been issued by the courts to investigate assets totalling £22 million. In addition to the UWOs, the courts granted interim freezing orders (IFOs), meaning that the assets cannot be sold, transferred or dissipated while subject to the IFO.