§ Mr. MallonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) customs clearance staff work and (b) customs clearance firms operate in Northern Ireland; how many are based in each parliamentary constituency; and what is the estimated annual turnover generated by the customs clearance industry in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. AtkinsInformation from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise indicates that there are 75 businesses in Northern Ireland which provide customs clearance services. However, many of these businesses also have other activities and it is not possible to determine, from the available information, the staff numbers or turnover attributable solely to customs clearance work. The distribution of the 75 businesses by parliamentary constituency is as follows:
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Customs clearance agents in Northern Ireland by parliamentary constituency Number Belfast, North 15 Belfast, East 3 Belfast, West 9 South Antrim 12 Lagan Valley 1 East Antrim 3 North Antrim 1 Foyle 7 South Down 6 Newry and Armagh 13 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 5 Total 75