HC Deb 25 January 2002 vol 378 cc1146-7W
Mr. Lidington

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Ministers received the draft Alcohol and Tobacco Fraud Review report containing the paragraph on resources cited in paragraph 9.3 of the Rogues report. [26415]

Mr. Boateng

The draft report was submitted to the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury, and discussed by Treasury Ministers. Consideration of the resourcing implications was subsequently taken forward as part of the 1998 spending round in the normal way.

Mr. Lidington

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the recommendations of HM Customs and Excise on the level of additional resources needed to combat fraud and evasion that were contained in the draft Alcohol and Tobacco Fraud Review and quoted in paragraph 9.3 of the Rogues report. [26414]

Mr. Boateng

Consideration of the resourcing implications of the Review was taken forward as part of the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). The CSR settlement included an additional £35 million to fund more than 100 extra officers at the ports to tackle the problem of alcohol and tobacco fraud and smuggling.