§ Mrs. DeanTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in reducing the amount of alcohol illegally imported into Britain. [61535]
§ Dawn PrimaroloIn July 1997, the Government announced a review of alcohol and tobacco smuggling and fraud, which was carried out by Customs & Excise in consultation with the trade. Customs & Excise has been allocated an extra £35 million over the next 3 years to tackle this problem. Over 100 additional frontline staff are currently being appointed. In the first 6 months of the current financial year, the revenue detected has been more than the amount for the same period last year.