Contributions
464 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDMoney Laundering and Terrorist Financing (High-Risk Countries) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023I will take my hon. Friend’s questions in turn. Russia has been suspended from the Financial Action Task Force; it has not attended meetings or played a part in deliberations…08 Jan 2024HANSARDMoney Laundering and Terrorist Financing (High-Risk Countries) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023I thank the shadow Minister for supporting the regulations. It is incumbent on me to make two key points to address her question about the Cayman Islands. First, a country’s being…08 Jan 2024HANSARDMoney Laundering and Terrorist Financing (High-Risk Countries) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023I am happy to look into that. The UK and various overseas territories, not just one in particular but across the whole landscape, have been working at official level technically…08 Jan 2024HANSARDMoney Laundering and Terrorist Financing (High-Risk Countries) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2023I thank my hon. Friend for that intervention. Everyone in the House knows about his long-standing interest in these matters and his knowledge and understanding of them. The…08 Jan 2024HANSARDBanking Services: AccessI am not sure that I quite accept my hon. Friend’s characterisation of the banking industry, but I am happy to meet him and discuss the problems he outlined in relation to…19 Dec 2023HANSARDBanking Services: AccessFirst, it is worth stating that, as the hon. Gentleman knows, the decisions on whether to open or close branches are commercial ones, and the Government do not interfere with…19 Dec 2023HANSARDTaskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures: RecommendationsI thank my right hon. Friend for her question. She mentions the Treasury’s green finance strategy, which contains plans to bring forward the sustainability disclosure…19 Dec 2023HANSARDBanking Services: AccessAs the hon. Lady knows, the industry leads the roll-out of banking hubs. We are supporting it—I say this again—to speed that up as much as possible. I have not seen the Labour…19 Dec 2023HANSARDBanking Services: AccessI agree with the hon. Lady’s words about Lord Darling and echo the words of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor. On bank branches, I will repeat my position: it is important that…19 Dec 2023HANSARDBanking Services: AccessThe Government believe that all customers should have appropriate access to banking services, which is why we have legislated to protect access to cash. We also support the FCA’s…19 Dec 2023HANSARDCreditors Contacting Customers in Debt: FCAI was pleased to speak at the launch of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute’s report on this subject last week, alongside the FCA. It is worth saying that I used to be on…19 Dec 2023HANSARDPension Schemes: Incentivising UK InvestmentThere are a couple of things that we need to do. We need to ensure that the industry abides by its commitment to the 5% target. Working with the Exchequer Secretary, my hon.…19 Dec 2023HANSARDPension Schemes: Incentivising UK InvestmentUnder the industry-led Mansion House compact, 11 of the UK’s largest defined contribution pension schemes have signed up to the objective of allocating at least 5% of their funds…19 Dec 2023HANSARDCreditors Contacting Customers in Debt: FCALet me say two things. First, I pay tribute to the former Financial Secretary, now the Health Secretary—my right hon. Friend the Member for Louth and Horncastle (Victoria…19 Dec 2023HANSARDPension Schemes: Incentivising UK InvestmentAt the autumn statement, we set out a series of measures to improve pension saver returns, increase opportunities for investment and boost the UK’s capital markets and high-growth…19 Dec 2023HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. Indeed, I will meet him to discuss the matter to make sure that this regulation does not have the adverse effects that he has outlined.19 Dec 2023HANSARDTaskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures: RecommendationsThis Government have been one of the largest donors to the global market-led taskforce on nature-related financial disclosures—TNFD—initiative. We will consider how best the…19 Dec 2023HANSARDHousehold Income: Mortgage Interest RatesMortgage costs and interest rates have gone up throughout the world, and we are in more or less the middle of the pack—they are higher in the United States, for example—but what…19 Dec 2023HANSARDHousehold Income: Mortgage Interest RatesAs the hon. Lady knows, the path to lower interest rates is through low inflation, and the independent Bank of England has the Government’s full support as it takes action to…19 Dec 2023HANSARDMoney Laundering Regulations: Politically Exposed PersonsMy noble Friend Baroness Vere of Norbiton, the Treasury Minister in the House of Lords, has today made the following written ministerial statement. Today the Government have laid…14 Dec 2023