Extract from Commons
statement on Salisbury Incident: Update
The Prime Minister (Mrs Theresa May):...We
will also make full use of existing powers to enhance our efforts
to monitor and track the intentions of those travelling to the UK
who could be engaged in activity that threatens the security of the
UK and of our allies. So we will increase checks on private
flights, customs and freight. We will freeze Russian state assets
wherever we have the evidence that they may be used to threaten the
life or property of UK nationals or residents. Led by
the National Crime Agency, we will continue to
bring all the capabilities of UK law enforcement to bear against
serious criminals and corrupt elites. There is no place for these
people, or their money, in our country...
...The right hon. Gentleman (Jeremy Corbyn) asked
about the corrupt elites and money going through London. As I said
in my statement, led by the National Crime Agency, we will
continue to bring all the capabilities of UK law enforcement to
bear against serious criminals and corrupt elites. There is no
place for these people or their money in our country, and that work
is ongoing...
Sir (Twickenham) (LD):...I
and my party fully support the Prime Minister’s statement and
position. What is her response to the brave leader of the
opposition in Russia, Alexei Navalny, who is not allowed to stand
in the presidential election and has said that the most effective
action the British Government can take is to use their legal
powers, such as unexplained wealth orders, against named
individuals who are critical to the Putin operation? He names in
particular Mr Alisher Usmanov, who has substantial property and
sporting interests, and the First Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Igor
Shuvalov, who owns, among other things, a £14 million flat
overlooking the Ministry of Defence. Will the Prime Minister act?
The Prime Minister: I thank the right hon.
Gentleman for his support for the Government’s actions. As I said
in my statement, we do, of course, look at issues regarding
corrupt elites and criminal finances, and at using the tools and
capabilities at our disposal. The National Crime Agency is
continuing that work.
(Ilford South)
(Lab/Co-op): The Prime Minister’s words were
appropriate, measured and correct, and she has my full support.
She mentioned dirty money from Russia. Can she look again at the
role of tax havens internationally, including those in British
overseas territories and Crown dependencies?
The Prime Minister: I thank the hon. Gentleman
for his remarks. As he knows, we have been taking a number of
measures in relation to financial activities in the British
overseas territories and dependencies, and we continue to press
on those. Of course, we have enhanced our ability to deal with
these issues here in relation to economic crime through the
formation of the national economic crime centre. I am pleased to
say, having formed the National Crime Agency, that we have now
set up that national economic crime centre as part of the NCA,
which brings a number of capabilities.
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Extract from
Lords statement on Salisbury Incident:
Update
(CB):
It is clear that the House welcomes what was said in the
Statement about defensive measures. I certainly do—I think they
are appropriate and proportionate. I am, however, surprised that
so little was said in the Statement about deterrent measures. The
one mention of sanctions was that we shall take powers to be able
in future to do more on sanctions. Why are we not saying anything
about sanctions now?
I have two questions. First, given that the EU sanctions on
Russia following the Crimea and then the Donbass were
surprisingly effective, and given that the Government played a
commendable role in ensuring that they were introduced and then
maintained, are the Government contacting the EU about sanctions
against Russia over this crime committed in an EU member state?
Secondly, given that the sanctions that do least damage to the
Russian people and have most effect on Kremlin thinking are those
on particular individuals and on where they put their money, can
the Minister tell us what the Government envisage on that front,
on targeted sanctions against individuals known to be close to
the Kremlin?
The Lord Privy Seal (Baroness Evans of Bowes Park)
(Con): As the noble Lord will know, the National Crime
Agency will continue to bring all the capabilities of UK law
enforcement to bear against serious criminal money. There is no
place for these people or their money in our country. As I
mentioned on Monday, we have now introduced unexplained wealth
orders, which can be used to compel individuals to explain their
sources of wealth; indeed, the first UWOs have already been
issued by the court.
In relation to our conversations with our EU partners, this will,
as I mentioned, be an agenda item at the EU Council next week and
we will of course be talking to our EU partners. The Prime
Minister has already spoken to Chancellor Merkel and President
Macron, among others, to see what ways forward we can find with
our EU partners to look at the precise areas that the noble Lord
set out.
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