§ Brian CotterTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of how much revenue has been lost by the Exchequer as a result of the shadow economy in each year since 1997. [167511]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThere is no reliable overall estimate of the revenue lost as a result of the shadow economy. Lord Grabiner in his review of the hidden economy and the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration have both concluded that it is a concept difficult if not impossible to measure. The Revenue continues to monitor new developments in this area.