Written question asked by Andrew Dismore (Labour) on Monday, 8 February 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 10 February 2010. It was answered by Sarah McCarthy-Fry (Labour) on Tuesday, 23 February 2010 on behalf of the Treasury.

Alcoholic Drinks: Fraud

Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of links between alcohol fraud and serious organised crime.

Answer: There are no estimates available for the proportion of alcohol duty losses attributable to serious organised crime, compared to other forms of fraud. However, HMRC assessments of the threats to the alcohol regime suggest that organised criminality has become a significant element in the fraud. HMRC's response, with other law enforcement agencies, is to target these criminals and the networks through which they operate to disrupt, dismantle, penalise and wherever possible prosecute those involved.

Secondary information