§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints have been made about the behaviour of customs officers in each of the last five years; how many have been(a) upheld and (b) referred to the independent adjudicator; and what proportion of referrals have been upheld by the adjudicator. [49773]
§ Mr. BoatengFigures for the total number of complaints against HM Customs and Excise for the financial years 1997–98 to 1999–2000 are contained in the Department's annual reports for those years. The total number of complaints against HM Customs and Excise in 2000–01 was 10,092. The complaints upheld for the financial years 1997–98 to 2000–01 is as follows:
Year Percentage 1997–98 45 1998–99 48 1999–2000 51 2000–01 70 Note
Figures for 2001–02 are not yet available.
Figures for the number of complaints against HM Customs and Excise received by the Adjudicator and the number upheld are published in the Adjudicator's annual report.