§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his most recent estimate of the duty revenues lost as a result of cross-border shopping for, and smuggling of,(a) cigarettes, (b) hand rolling tobacco, (c) beer, (d) wine and (e) spirits. [3544]
§ Dawn PrimaroloCustom's latest estimate of excise duty paid alcohol and tobacco products is for the year ending 30 june 1996, and is given in table 1, and for smuggling is given in table 2.
Table 1: Revenue losses from cross border shopping £million Product type Excise duty Beer 25 Wine 75 Spirits 45 Tobacco products 55 Total 200 Figures have been independently rounded to £5 million. Figures assume that 50 per cent. of alcohol purchased is additional consumption. Customs have no separate estimates of the revenue losses for individual types of tobacco products.
Table 2: Revenue evaded through smuggling £ million Product type Excise duty Beer 75 Wine 35 Spirits 40 Hand-rolling tobacco 335 Cigarettes and other tobacco products 110 Total 590 Figures have been, independently rounded to £5 million. Components may not therefore sum to the totals given.