HC Deb 02 March 2004 vol 418 cc915-6W
Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the cash seizures that have been effected by the Assets Recovery Agency since its inception; what the value seized in each case was; and whether the order was enforced. [155962]

Caroline Flint

The Assets Recovery Agency has no power to seize and forfeit cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. This power is reserved to the police and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise. As at the end of January 2004 a total of 1,219 cash seizures with a total value of £55.68 million had been made in England and Wales since the powers came into force in December 2002. Cash seized can only be forfeited when a forfeiture order has been made by a magistrates' court. A total of 64 cash forfeitures have been made under the Act with a total value of £2.98 million. Details of individual cash seizures and forfeitures are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

At present the minimum amount of cash which can be seized is £10,000. The threshold is to be reduced to £5,000 under The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Recovery of Cash in Summary Proceedings: Minimum Amount) Order 2004 which was laid before Parliament on 24 February.

Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) confiscation and (b) restraint orders have been made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; and what the recoverable amount was in each case. [155963]

Caroline Flint

The confiscation and restraint powers in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are triggered by offences committed after the provisions were brought into force on 24 March 2003. It will therefore be some time before confiscation cases are dealt with by the Crown Court in numbers.

As at the end of January 2004 the information available is as follows:

(a) 58 confiscation orders had been made under the Act with a total value of £1,089,849.

(b) 59 restraint orders had been made of which 40 orders have a total value of £6,276,737. Information on the value of the other 19 orders is not currently available.

In addition, the Assets Recovery Agency has 20 civil recovery cases subject to freezing orders with a total value of £12.7 million.