Round Up: UK Aims to Crackdown on FinCrime with Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill 2022

New crackdown on fraud and money laundering to protect UK economy

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill will strengthen the UK’s reputation as a place where legitimate businesses can thrive while driving dirty money out of the UK. Through the reforms, anyone who registers a company in the UK will need to verify their identity, tackling the use of companies as a front for crime or foreign kleptocrats.

The reforms to Companies House – its biggest upgrade in 170 years – will also see the organisation armed with new powers to check, challenge and decline incorrect or fraudulent information, making it a more active gatekeeper over company creation. The investigation and enforcement powers of Companies House will also be upgraded, enabling the organisation to cross check data with public and private partners, as well as reporting suspicious activity to security agencies and law enforcement… Read the full press release here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-crackdown-on-fraud-and-money-laundering-to-protect-uk-economy


Factsheets

Factsheets giving details of the different measures contained in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill:

Fact sheet: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill overarching: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-overarching

Fact sheet: the role and powers of the Registrar of Companies: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-the-role-and-powers-of-the-registrar-of-companies

Fact sheet: company names: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-company-names

Fact sheet: identity verification and authorised corporate service providers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-identity-verification-and-authorised-corporate-service-providers

Fact sheet: preventing abuse of personal information on the Register: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-preventing-abuse-of-personal-information-on-the-register

Fact sheet: improving transparency of company ownership: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-improving-transparency-of-company-ownership

Fact sheet: Companies House fees: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-companies-house-fees

Fact sheet: company accounts: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-company-accounts

Fact sheet: limited partnerships: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-limited-partnerships

Fact sheet: impact of corporate transparency reforms on limited liability partnerships: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-impact-assessments

Fact sheet: Civil sanctions and offences relating to reform of Companies House and limited partnerships: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105665/11._Civil_Sanctions_and_Offences_Relating_to_Reform_of_Companies_House_and_Limited_Partnerships.pdf

Factsheet: cryptoassets – key terms and definitions: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/factsheet-cryptoassets-key-terms-and-definitions

Fact sheet: cryptoassets technical: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-cryptoassets-technical

Fact sheet: cryptoassets – legislation: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-cryptoassets-legislation

Fact sheet: information sharing measures: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-information-sharing-measures

Fact Sheet: the removal of the statutory cap on financial penalties for the Law Society, as delegated to the Solicitors Regulation Authority: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-the-removal-of-the-statutory-cap-on-financial-penalties-for-the-law-society-as-delegated-to-the-solicitors-regulation-authority

Fact sheet: new regulatory objective in the Legal Services Act 2007: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-new-regulatory-objective-in-the-legal-services-act-2007

Fact sheet: the extension of the Serious Fraud Office’s pre-investigation powers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-the-extension-of-the-serious-fraud-offices-pre-investigation-powers

Fact sheet: economic crime in the UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets/fact-sheet-economic-crime-in-the-uk

Main page of fact sheets: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-factsheets


Impact Assessments

Impact assessments relating to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill:

Impact assessment for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105777/1._Impact_Assessment_from_Department_for_Business__Energy_and_Industrial_Strategy.pdf

Regulatory Policy Committee opinion: corporate transparency and Companies House register reform: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105781/2._RPC_Opinion_-_Corporate_Transparency_and_Companies_House_Register_Reform.pdf

Regulatory Policy Committee opinion: reform of limited partnership law: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105789/3._RPC_Opinion_-_Reform_of_limited_partnership_law.pdf

Impact assessment: overarching economic crime measures (Home Office measures): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105797/4._Overarching_Economic_Crime_Measures_IA.pdf

Impact assessment: cryptoassets: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105799/5._Cryptoassets_IA.pdf

Impact assessment: exemptions for handling mixed suspected criminal and legitimate property: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105802/6._Exemptions_for_handling_mixed_suspected_criminal_and_legitimate_property_IA.pdf

Impact assessment: DAML: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105806/7._DAML_Review_IA.pdf

Impact assessment: Information Orders: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105810/8._Information_Order_IA.pdf

Impact assessment: information sharing: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105814/9._Information_Sharing_IA.pdf

Regulatory Policy Committee opinion: Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill 2022 (Home Office measures): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105819/10._2022-07-14-RPC-HO-5197_1_-Economic_Crime_Bill_.pdf

Impact assessment: enhanced due diligence: designation of high-risk countries (HM Treasury): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105823/11._-_EBC_DM_IA_-_HRTC_Measure_.pdf

Impact assessment: the removal of the statutory cap on financial penalties in relation to economic crime matters (Ministry of Justice): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105826/12._MoJ_Impact_Assessment_Fining_Measure.pdf

Impact assessment: regulators of legal services: objective relating to economic crime (Ministry of Justice): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105829/13._MoJ_Impact_Assessment_Regulatory_Objective_Measure.pdf

Main page of impact assessments: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-impact-assessments


European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) memoranda

European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) memoranda relating to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill:

ECHR memorandum: Parts 1-3 Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105845/ECHR_Memorandum_for_Parts_1-3_Economic_Crime_and_Corporate_Transparency_Bill__BEIS_components_.pdf

ECHR memorandum: Parts 4-5 Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1105849/ECHR_Memorandum_for_Parts_4-5_ECCT_Bill__Home_Office_MoJ_SFO_.pdf

Main page to European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022-echr-memoranda


Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill 2022 – Document Collection

Main page for overarching documents (fact sheets, impact assessments and ECHR memoranda) that relate to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill… See the links here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/economic-crime-and-corporate-transparency-bill-2022


Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill – Volume 719: debated on Thursday 22 September 2022
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, Suella Braverman.

The Government are today introducing the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, as committed to in the Queen’s Speech at the start of this parliamentary Session. Building on the recently enacted Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022, the measures in this new, significant Bill enable us to bear down further on kleptocrats, criminals and terrorists who abuse our open economy, strengthening the UK’s reputation as a place where legitimate business can thrive while driving dirty money out of the UK.

The UK is at the forefront of global efforts to tackle illicit finance and economic crime… Read the all the statement here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2022-09-22/debates/22092219000013/EconomicCrimeAndCorporateTransparencyBill


Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill – Main Parliament page

Main page for the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, including details, news, stages and publications… Read the all the details here: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3339

Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, explanatory notes: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-03/0154/220154.pdf