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Treasury

Answer

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of inspection and enforcement activities carried out by (a) his Department and (b) regulatory bodies and agencies sponsored by his Department was in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) 2003-04. [217786] Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor's Departments which carry out inspection or enforcement type activities are the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise. In the course of achieving their objectives, however, neither Department separately identifies inspection or enforcement activity, with the exception of the law enforcement work of HM Customs and Excise. This focuses on the management of risks to society that arise from the illegal importation of prohibited or restricted goods such as class A drugs, firearms or paedophile material. It is not therefore possible to provide the information requested on costs of inspection and enforcement activities for 1996-97 and 2003-04, although more information on the activities of HM Customs and Excise and of the Inland Revenue and the administrative costs of running the Departments, including the costs to HM Customs and Excise of working to reduce crime and drug dependency and on investment in compliance activity in the Inland Revenue, can be found in their annual reports and accounts.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

217786; 431 c944W;431 c940W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Costs Inspections Enforcement Government departments Regulation Treasury

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk