HC Deb 11 February 1999 vol 325 cc355-6W
Mrs. Lait

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets he set Her Majesty's Customs and Excise to assess their success rate in confiscating smuggled and bootlegged tobacco and alcohol in 1997–98; and what assessment he has made of their success in achieving those targets. [70015]

Dawn Primarolo

For 1997–98 Customs planned to make detections of smuggled excise goods worth £36.7 million in revenue. Results at the end of the year were £63.1 million.

Mrs. Lait

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he is making at ECOFIN in persuading the EU finance ministers to increase excise duty on tobacco and alcohol; and at which meetings he has raised this issue since May 1997. [70018]

Dawn Primarolo

Member states are free to set excise duty rates at the level they feel are appropriate to their own particular circumstances subject only to agreed minimum rates. The UK believes that there should be a levelling up of most minimum rates. The mechanism for achieving this is the Commission's biennial review of duty rates. The latest tobacco review, due in December 1996, was published in June 1998 and is progressing through Council working group. It has yet to be discussed at ECOFIN. The alcohol review which was due in December 1996 is still awaited and has not been discussed at ECOFIN.

Mrs. Lait

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Customs officers were dealing with smuggled and bootlegged tobacco and alcohol originating in the EU(a) at the latest date for which figures are available and (b) one year earlier. [70016]

Dawn Primarolo

The primary responsibility for dealing with tobacco and alcohol smuggled from the European Union rests with Excise Verification Officers. At 1 April 1998 there were 330 employed by Customs. As a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review, this figure will be increased to 423 by 1 April 1999. These front-line officers are supported by specialist intelligence and investigation teams.