To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many suspicious activity reports the ELMER database processed in 2015.
Answered on
3 May 2016
As is set out in the Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) Regime Annual Report, the SARs IT infrastructure processed 381,882 SARs in 2014/15. The Report can be found at:
http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/677-sars-annual-report-2015/file
In the National Risk Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, which the Government published on 15 October 2015, it was recognised that the suspicious activity reports (SARS) IT infra structure is coming to the end of its life, and will need to be replaced. The Government launched the Action Plan for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist finance on 21 April, which sets out a programme to deliver a significantly improved anti-money laundering regime for the UK. As part of these improvements we will be working with public and private stakeholders to develop a replacement SARs IT infrastructure.
In the Action Plan for anti-money laundering and terrorist financing, the Government set out that a replacement for the existing SARS IT infrastructure will be designed to support a significant improvement in the UK’s anti-money laundering regime. The benefits will include; more effective processing of SARs, including; automated cross-checking with law enforcement databases; development of intelligence on those responsible for money laundering; and better information on threats for sharing with the private sector. We are consulting on the proposals to improve the anti-money laundering regime.