(Rhondda) (Lab): I
warmly welcome the robust attitude Europe has adopted towards
Russia. Indeed, I warmly commend the Prime Minister on securing
that, because I do not think that that was a small feat. May I
make a suggestion to her about dealing with Russia, which is that
we should do more to tackle the dirty Russian money sloshing
around in the City of London? One measure could be easily taken.
The Government have, quite rightly, introduced a register of
beneficial ownership of trusts, but they are refusing to make it
public. Is now not the time to make sure everybody knows who owns
what in this country, and to make sure Russian dirty money will
not swill around this country because the City of London
Corporation is clean and we will make everything public?
The Prime Minister: We do not want dirty money,
whatever its source, in the City of London or the United Kingdom.
That is why we have taken a number of steps to enhance our
ability to deal with that issue. It is why the National Crime
Agency will always act where there are issues around criminal
activity or illicit finances. It is why we brought forward
proposals in the Criminal Finances Act 2017, which gave us even
greater strength, and it is why we will be dealing with the other
issue that the hon. Gentleman always raises with me, the
Magnitsky issue, in the sanctions Bill.
