Money Laundering High Street Businesses 2026-02-09
2026-02-09
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP noted that police operations last year led to hundreds of arrests and thousands of raids on high street shops across the country, including in West Yorkshire. She highlighted a need for further steps to tackle money laundering.
I am concerned about police operations last year leading to hundreds arrested and thousands of high street shops raided across the country, including in West Yorkshire. What further steps are being taken to tackle money laundering, including by connecting information across agencies and flagging suspicious entities, so that such operations can be closed down quickly?
We are taking more steps. The new high streets taskforce will look at whether the current data sharing between agencies in supporting enforcement teams is appropriate in order to maximise our response to be as effective as possible. The Government will also publish a new anti-money laundering and asset recovery strategy this summer, which will set out further ambitious measures to strengthen our fight against money laundering, including through better sharing and exploitation of financial information across the system.
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Assessment & feedback
Exact mechanism for flagging suspicious entities was not detailed
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP noted that police operations last year led to hundreds of arrests and thousands of raids on high street shops across the country, including in West Yorkshire. She highlighted a need for further steps to tackle money laundering.
I am concerned about police operations last year leading to hundreds arrested and thousands of high street shops raided across the country, including in West Yorkshire. What further steps are being taken to tackle money laundering, including by connecting information across agencies and flagging suspicious entities, so that such operations can be closed down quickly?
We are taking more steps. The new high streets taskforce will look at whether the current data sharing between agencies in supporting enforcement teams is appropriate in order to maximise our response to be as effective as possible. The Government will also publish a new anti-money laundering and asset recovery strategy this summer, which will set out further ambitious measures to strengthen our fight against money laundering, including through better sharing and exploitation of financial information across the system.
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Assessment & feedback
Exact mechanism for flagging suspicious entities was not detailed
Response accuracy
Q3
Partial Answer
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Context
The MP mentioned that organised criminality is behind much of the money laundering seen on high streets. She highlighted her Committee's inquiry into organised crime and its role in neighbourhood crime.
I note that organised criminality is behind much of the money laundering we see on our high streets, which is why my Committee last week launched an inquiry looking at organised criminality and the role it plays in the crime we see in neighbourhoods up and down the country. Will the Minister set out the support the Home Office is giving to the National Crime Agency on this issue and how he envisages the NCA working with the 12 mega-forces and the national police force envisaged in the White Paper?
I am grateful to the Chair of the Committee for setting out the work it will be doing. I have long believed in the importance of working closely with the National Crime Agency to tackle serious organised crime, which is a blight on all our communities. We are working closely with the NCA to ensure it has the appropriate level of resourcing and the correct strategic priorities, and I meet the director every single week. We would be very happy to co-operate closely with the right hon. Lady on the work that her Committee is doing. She is right to mention the importance of police reform; we are obviously looking carefully at that process, and will ensure that we configure ourselves in a way that will maximise the ability of the National Crime Agency to tackle serious organised crime.
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Assessment & feedback
Concrete details on mega-forces' configuration were not provided
Response accuracy