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Written question asked by Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative) on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 21 July 2026. It was answered by Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour) on Monday, 20 July 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.

Shops: Money Laundering

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on 8 May 2025 (HL6763), what progress they have made in tackling money laundering through cash-based high street businesses such as American candy stores and souvenir shops; whether they plan to legislate to introduce new powers for (1) the National Crime Agency, (2) local authorities, or (3) HMRC, to tackle such activities; and whether they will grant additional financial resource to enable effective enforcement.

Answer

Tackling high street criminality is a priority for this Government. That is why, on 19 May, the Government announced a £30 million crackdown targeting cash intensive business such as candy stores and souvenir shops, over three years. This includes dedicated funding for an enhanced law enforcement response supporting the National Crime Agency, HMRC, Trading Standards and others, and the creation of a new cross-government High Street Organised Crime Unit to tackle this threat. The Unit will identify what more is needed – from stronger powers to better coordination – to respond to this criminal activity and stop it from happening in the first place.

As part of the Government’s work on this issue, the Government is currently consulting on extending the duration of Closure Orders to 12 months, to ensure that criminal businesses can be shut down for longer where appropriate.

Further details about the £30 million package can be found here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-05-19/HCWS32

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL1714
Session
2026-27
Related items
Confectionery: Shops
Thursday, 8 May 2025
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects
Money laundering Regulation Shops
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk