Finance Bill: Bill 77 of 2024-25
The government introduced the Finance Bill in the House of Lords on 4 March 2025. The House is scheduled to debate the bill at second reading and all remaining stages on 19 March 2025.

This House of Lords Library briefing outlines the current anti-money regulations in regards to Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), and proposed reforms.
Politically Exposed Persons: Current Regime and Reforms (102 KB , PDF)
Banks and other financial institutions are required to conduct enhanced customer due diligence when dealing with people identified as PEPs. This is intended to help trace and put a stop to the financing of terrorism. It has been argued that, in some cases, financial institutions have declined to handle accounts of UK PEPs as a result. This process of withdrawing financial services for PEP’s has been described as ‘de-risking’.
The current anti-money laundering rules are set out in Money Laundering Regulations 2007, which implement the EU’s Third Money Laundering Directive in the UK. The Fourth Money Laundering Directive states that the enhanced due diligence measures, current required for foreign PEPs, should be extended to domestic PEPs. This directive has yet to be agreed in the European Parliament. The UK Government has stated its intention to implement new money-laundering regulations by June 2017.
Politically Exposed Persons: Current Regime and Reforms (102 KB , PDF)
The government introduced the Finance Bill in the House of Lords on 4 March 2025. The House is scheduled to debate the bill at second reading and all remaining stages on 19 March 2025.
Over the last three decades, the number of bank branches in the UK has declined due to advances in technology and changing customer habits. Stakeholders have argued that these closures have negatively affected rural communities. In recent years, successive governments and the Financial Conduct Authority have taken action aimed at ensuring sufficient access to banking services, including for rural communities. This briefing provides an overview of these measures, as well as information on the number of bank closures and their impact on rural communities.
The government has identified the creative industries as one of eight “growth driving” sectors it will prioritise in its industrial strategy. The strategy is due to be published later this year, along with a creative industries sector plan. The creative industries have called on barriers to growth, such as skills gaps and access to funding, to be addressed in the sector plan.