§ Mr. SymsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on HM Customs and Excise proposals to employ staff in mobile anti-smuggling squads; and what assessment he has made of the impact this proposal will have on the port of Poole. [12546]
§ Mr. Boateng[holding answer 5 November 2001]: HM Customs and Excise keeps under constant review its resource deployment in the light of risk analysis and results. It has for some time used flexible mobile teams to tackle smuggling around the coast and at ports and airports. Deployment changes are intelligence-led and so designed to achieve the greatest possible impact on smuggling.
§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were(a) employed in Customs and Excise investigation and fraud teams and (b) engaged in counter-smuggling activities in each year since 1996; and what his estimate is for 2001 and plans for 2002. [12653]
§ Mr. Boateng[holding answer 5 November 2001]: For the financial years 1996–97 to 1999–2000 the number of Customs' staff employed in Investigation and Anti-smuggling teams were as follows:
Investigation1 Anti-smuggling 1996–97 1,679 2,829 1997–98 1,783 2,854 1998–99 1,864 2,872 1999–2000 1,907 2,877 1 This includes non-core activity (corporate and support services) For 2000–01 and 2001–02 Customs were complemented for 3,315 and 3,445 detection staff and 1,864 and 2,101 investigation staff respectively. From 2000–01 the figures for Investigation no longer include the non-core support services activity.
Year/number/location Status Value (£) 1996–97 Number of acquisitions made: 0 — — 1997–98 Number of acquisitions made: 2 England Basingstoke Core department. Established body 355 Birmingham Executive agency. Established body 3 1998–99 Number of acquisitions made: 0 — —