Written question asked by Lindsay Hoyle (Labour) on Wednesday, 10 June 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 18 June 1998. It was answered by Baroness Primarolo (Labour) on Thursday, 18 June 1998 on behalf of the Treasury.

Treasury

Question: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the duty lost through smuggling of wines and spirits from the Continent to United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available. - Includes table. (Holding answer 15 June 1998).

Answer: Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the duty lost through smuggling of wines and spirits from the Continent to United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available. [45957] Dawn Primarolo: [holding answer 15 June 1998]: HM Customs and Excise estimate of the revenue lost to the Exchequer through cross-channel smuggling of wines and spirits in 1997 is set out in the table. £ million _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Product type Excise duty VAT Total Wines 35 15 50 Spirits 20 5 25 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Notes: 1. Figures have been independently rounded to £5 million 2. Figures for estimates revenue losses use Customs assumptions that 70-80 per cent. of smuggled alcoholic drinks substitute for similar purchases in the UK. The above estimates exclude any amounts for revenue lost on wines and spirits involved in commercial fraud or smuggling in freight consignments. There are no official estimates for the extent of these activities.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 314 c275W; 45957
Session: 1997-98
Subjects: Alcoholic drinks Excise duties Wines Smuggling Tax evasion Tax yields Spirits
Contains statistics: Yes