§ Richard BurdenTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what action is being taken by Customs and Excise to stop goods produced in illegal settlements in the west bank and Gaza being imported into the UK under preference by being labelled "Made in Israel"; [20095]
(2) what assessment he has made of the implications for the work of Customs and Excise of the decisions of the European Commission regarding the import, under preference, of goods produced in illegal settlements in the west bank and Gaza but which are labelled "Made in Israel"; [20092]
(3) what action is being taken by Customs and Excise to investigate allegations that goods produced in illegal settlements in the west bank and Gaza are being imported into Britain under preference and labelled "Made in Israel"; [20094]
686W(4) what action is being taken by his Department to inform importers of goods produced in illegal settlements in the west bank and Gaza that they cannot use preference irrespective of whether they are labelled "Made in Israel". [20093]
§ Mr. BoatengAs part of an EC-wide exercise, Customs and Excise will be taking all appropriate steps to ensure that the origins of imports from these areas are properly declared.
This will include providing advice to importers via the Joint Customs Consultative Committee, the Customs website, the computerised entry processing system noticeboard, and articles in trade magazines.
Customs will also be taking steps to identify and monitor imports from these areas, will initiate post-clearance verification inquiries with the competent authorities and take appropriate action dependent on their responses.