HC Deb 27 October 1993 vol 230 c673W
Mr. Mills

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking with Her Majesty's Customs to monitor vehicles making frequent trips to France to import tobacco products and alcohol for personal use.

Sir John Cope

With the advent of the single market, Customs no longer carry out routine fiscal checks at intra-EC borders and do not routinely monitor the movement of private vehicles between the United Kingdom and France. Customs are, however, taking measures to combat the importation of goods ostensibly for personal consumption but intended for sale without payment of United Kingdom duty. They are gathering intelligence information which can be rapidly disseminated to support their efforts to seek out and prosecute those who sell excisable goods here without paying United Kingdom duty.