U.K. bill would empower Companies House as AML regulator

The U.K. government said it wants to give Companies House more power and resources to help combat money laundering.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill aims to stem the flow of dirty money coming into the United Kingdom. The bill would give the organization—which provides a public register of businesses, their accounts, and their directors—new powers to “check, challenge, and decline” false information when new companies are set up.

Companies House’s investigation and enforcement powers would also be beefed up, enabling it to cross-check data with other organizations and report suspicious activity to security agencies and law enforcement, the U.K. government stated in a Sept. 22 press release.