§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in the Inland Revenue were devoted to(a) tax evasion in general and (b) offshore and international tax evasion in each year since 1996; and what his estimate is for 2001 and his plans for 2002. [12652]
§ Dawn Primarolo[holding answer 5 November 2001]: A substantial number of staff in the Inland Revenue work on countering tax evasion, but for very many of them this is only a part of their job. Similarly, staff dealing with offshore and international tax evasion may also handle domestic issues. I regret therefore that information is not available in the form in which my hon. Friend has asked for it.