§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent communications or discussions he has had with the chairman of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in regard to progress in continuing inquiries into alleged malpractice by companies or individuals in military import/export transactions. [32660]
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryInvestigation into alleged breaches of import or export controls is a matter for the commissioners of Customs in their role as an independent investigating and prosecuting authority of the Crown.
Neither the Chancellor nor I, the Treasury Minister with general responsibility for Customs matters, are consulted on decisions on investigation and prosecution in individual cases, but we are routinely informed of significant events in important cases. It would not be appropriate to make public details of communications on inquiries lest they prejudice current or future investigations or legal proceedings or cause unfairness to individuals.