Tim Loughton – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tim Loughton on 2016-01-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will hold further discussions with the Indian government on the confiscation of property held by UK nationals in Goa.

Mr Hugo Swire

All confiscation orders are issued following an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate and can be appealed. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is not able to interfere in local investigations. However, we continue to identify opportunities to raise property issues at the appropriate levels. As an example, in December, our Acting High Commissioner to India met the Chairman of the Goa Property Working Group as well as the Goa Chief Minister. Our offices in New Delhi, Mumbai and Goa have facilitated contact between the UK nationals in the Goa Property Working Group and officials working for the Goa Property Committee, the relevant Indian government body. The Property Working Group have reported significant progress has been made. We continue to assist them through our lobbying.