Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency’s Combating Kleptocracy Cell on combating sanctions evasion and the hiding of Russian assets in the UK, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories; and if she will make a statement.

The National Crime Agency’s Combatting Kleptocracy Cell (CKC) has been tasked with investigating criminal sanctions evasion and high-end money laundering, including by individuals in the UK who are linked to the Russian regime.

The Home Office and the National Crime Agency work closely together and the effectiveness of the Combatting Kleptocracy Cell is closely monitored by both. For reasons of operational security we are not able to provide further details publicly.

The NCA’s work forms one part of a cross-government effort to tackle illicit finance. As part of this, the UK government has strong engagement with the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories to combat sanctions evasion. This wider work is subject to regular Parliamentary scrutiny.