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David Cameron: UK property no safe haven for 'dirty money' | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Foreigners must be stopped from buying UK homes with "plundered or laundered cash" and a "global effort" launched to defeat corruption, David Cameron will say in a speech later. | |
Mr Cameron will vow to expose the use of "anonymous shell companies" to buy luxury UK properties - often in London. | |
Speaking in Singapore, he will say the UK must not become "a safe haven for corrupt money from around the world". | |
He will say the international community must tackle the "cancer of corruption". | |
Mr Cameron is on a four-day tour of South East Asia, in which he will also visit Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. | |
'Global effort' | 'Global effort' |
He has been accompanied by 31 British business leaders in an attempt to drum up trade with the UK and has also discussed the fight against terrorism with his counterparts. | He has been accompanied by 31 British business leaders in an attempt to drum up trade with the UK and has also discussed the fight against terrorism with his counterparts. |
Describing corruption as "the enemy of progress", he will call for a "global effort" to tackle it, saying the world has "looked the other way for too long". | Describing corruption as "the enemy of progress", he will call for a "global effort" to tackle it, saying the world has "looked the other way for too long". |
A 2014 report by anti-poverty organisation One said an estimated $1tn (£600bn) a year was being taken out of poor countries because of corruption, warning of the use of phantom firms and money laundering. | A 2014 report by anti-poverty organisation One said an estimated $1tn (£600bn) a year was being taken out of poor countries because of corruption, warning of the use of phantom firms and money laundering. |
And last week the National Crime Agency said foreign criminals were pushing up house prices in the UK by laundering billions of pounds through the purchase of expensive properties. | And last week the National Crime Agency said foreign criminals were pushing up house prices in the UK by laundering billions of pounds through the purchase of expensive properties. |
'Dirty money' | 'Dirty money' |
In his speech, Mr Cameron will say properties in the UK, particularly in London, "are being bought by people overseas through anonymous shell companies, some with plundered or laundered cash". | In his speech, Mr Cameron will say properties in the UK, particularly in London, "are being bought by people overseas through anonymous shell companies, some with plundered or laundered cash". |
Shell companies are non-trading companies that serve a particular purpose for their owners. | Shell companies are non-trading companies that serve a particular purpose for their owners. |
More than 100,000 UK property titles are registered to overseas companies, with more than 36,000 properties in London owned by offshore firms. | |
About £122bn of property in England and Wales is owned by offshore companies. | |
The government is to publish Land Registry data later this year, setting out which foreign companies own land and property in England and Wales. | The government is to publish Land Registry data later this year, setting out which foreign companies own land and property in England and Wales. |
It will also consider forcing a foreign company bidding for a government contract to "publicly state who really owns it". | It will also consider forcing a foreign company bidding for a government contract to "publicly state who really owns it". |
"There is no place for dirty money in Britain. Indeed, there should no place for dirty money anywhere," Mr Cameron will add. |