§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Customs and Excise anti-drug smuggling officers there were in(a) the west midlands and (b) the United Kingdom in each year since 1990; and what plans he has to decrease the number during (a) 1996–97 and (b) 1997–98. [31096]
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryAnti-smuggling officers are not confined to the detection of drugs. It would not be in the public interest to reveal the number of officers deployed in the west midlands.
As some anti-smuggling activity is performed on overtime and some is performed by multi-functional staff, resources are recorded in staff years rather than numbers of posts.
The number of staff years allocated each year since 1990–91 was as follows:
- 1990–91: 3,630
- 1991–92: 3,558
- 1992–93: 3,420
- 1993–94: 3,100
- 1994–95: 3,347
- 1995–96: 3,170.
There are no plans to decrease the number of officers in 1996–97.
The 1994 Customs fundamental expenditure review of prohibitions and restrictions recommended that staff reductions could be made, subject to enhanced targeting, and 292 posts were withdrawn in 1995–96, including 50 diverted into additional intelligence activity. The effects of this reduction are being carefully monitored in 1996–97 before a decision is taken as to whether further reduction of 300 or some lesser amount should take place in 1997–98.