Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Proceeds of Crime

Thursday 10 February 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The SFO has obtained more than 44.5 million in new financial orders and recovered more than 45 million in 2021-22.
  • The SFO continues to investigate the dealings of London Capital & Finance plc, prioritizing rapid investigation progression.
  • The government will act robustly and promptly to protect the Serious Fraud Office from abusive litigation, as demonstrated in the Unaoil case.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Caroline Ansell Con
Crime & Law Enforcement Justice & Courts
Context

The MP is questioning the recent assessment made regarding the effectiveness of the SFO in recovering proceeds of crime.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Serious Fraud Office in recovering the proceeds of crime?

Answer from Alex Chalk

The SFO has had a very positive year in delivering on its commitment to recover the proceeds of crime. So far in 2021-22, the SFO has obtained more than £44.5 million in new financial orders from the courts and successfully recovered more than £45 million by enforcing these and existing orders.

Answered
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Q2 Caroline Ansell Con
Context

The MP is seeking an update on the progress of the investigation into the London Capital & Finance scandal and what hope this can offer to her constituents.

Question

What assessment can he make of the progress of the investigations into the London Capital & Finance scandal, and what hope can I offer my constituents?

Answer from Alex Chalk

The SFO continues to investigate the dealings of London Capital & Finance plc and associated companies. The size and complexity of these cases means significant time is required, but driving forward rapid investigation progression remains a priority for both the Attorney General and me. Over the last five years, thanks to the work of the SFO, £1.3 billion has been returned to taxpayers over and above the costs of running the SFO.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific hope that can be offered to constituents was not addressed directly

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Q3 Clive Efford Lab Eltham and Chislehurst
Justice & Courts
Context

The MP is concerned about the protection of individuals working at agencies tasked with investigating crimes from abusive litigation by those seeking to hide their ill-gotten gains.

Question

What action can be taken to protect individuals who work for agencies like the Serious Fraud Office from such abusive litigation?

Answer from Alex Chalk

We will act robustly and promptly where criticisms are made of the Serious Fraud Office. For instance, my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney General ensured that an investigation was set up in respect of the findings in the Unaoil case.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific action to protect individuals from abusive litigation was not detailed

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