Skip to main content

Written question asked by Vincent Cable (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 27 February 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 4 March 2003. It was answered by Ruth Kelly (Labour) on Tuesday, 4 March 2003 on behalf of the Treasury.


Treasury

Question
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the Taliban assets in the UK which (a) are frozen and (b) were frozen in October 2001; when assets were frozen of the Afghan National Credit and Finance and the National Trading Company of Afghanistan; and what was the value of frozen assets. - Including figures and ref to 16 October 2001, 372 c1212W.
Answer

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the Taliban assets in the UK which (a) are frozen and (b) were frozen in October 2001; when assets were frozen of the Afghan National Credit and Finance and the National Trading Company of Afghanistan; and what was the value of frozen assets. [100617] Ruth Kelly: The al-Qaeda and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1390 allowed for the release of Taliban funds to the legitimate Government of Afghanistan. As a result, UK financial institutions have made such funds available to the Afghan Government and no Taliban (as distinct from al-Qaeda) funds remain frozen. As I indicated in my written answer of 16 October 2001, to the hon. Member (at column 1212W), no funds belonging to Afghan National Credit and Finance have been frozen in the UK. The assets of the National Trading Company of Afghanistan were frozen on 5 October 2001 as a temporary measure but were then unfrozen since they were not covered by UN sanctions. As my written answer explained, some £63 million sterling in 33 accounts had been frozen as at 15 October 2001. Regrettably, the sterling value of the frozen account of Khalid Al Fawwaz was incorrectly printed in the Official Report as £23.19 million; the correct figure, as stated in my written answer and as reflected in the total figure, was £23.19.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
100617; 400 c919W;400 c911-2W
Session
2002-03
Subjects
Assets Finance Terrorism Sequestration of assets Afghanistan al Qaeda Taliban
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk