§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the(a) assets and (b) goods seized by the Assets Recovery Agency in each month since January, broken down by (i) value and (ii) country of origin; and if he will make a statement. [122613]
§ Caroline FlintI understand from the Director of the Assets Recovery Agency that providing the information in the form requested would risk identifying some or all of the subjects of the cases under investigation, contrary to orders of the court. Since the Agency assumed operational powers on 24 February this year, four orders have been obtained from the High Court in London and Belfast in connection with civil recovery proceedings under Part 5 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to freeze property in the UK as follows:
Property Value (£) Four bank accounts 173,800 One bank account 1— Cash (four separate cases) 232,703.10 Investment/Premium Bonds (four separate cases) 163,321.31 Eight items of real property 1,843,513 Eight items of real property 1— Stocks and shares (two separate cases) 1— One vehicle 10,000 Total (excluding those assets yet to be valued) 2,423,337.41 1 Value of asset(s) to be determined during course of investigation. No assets have yet been frozen or seized by the Assets Recovery Agency in connection with proceedings under Parts 2, 4 or 6 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets he has set for the Assets Recovery Agency; and if he will make a statement. [122614]
§ Caroline FlintTargets for the Assets Recovery Agency are included in the Agency's Business Plan 2003–04, which has been prepared by the Director and approved by my right hon. Friends the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The Plan will be published on 9 July.
716W
§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money held by Saddam Hussein's regime has been seized by the Assets Recovery Agency; and if he will make a statement. [122615]
§ Caroline FlintThe Assets Recovery Agency has not seized any funds belonging to Saddam Hussein or his regime.
In accordance with the guidance given to the Director by the Home Secretary, the Agency will normally investigate cases only on the basis of a referral from the law enforcement or prosecution authorities.
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483, passed on 22 May, requires that all funds, financial assets or economic resources of Saddam Hussein, key members of his regime and their families, be frozen and transferred into the Development Fund for Iraq to be used for the benefit and welfare of the Iraqi people.