Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what level of expertise HM Revenue and Customs staff have on customs procedures; whether such expertise is accredited through (a) formal qualifications and (b) membership of professional bodies; and how many such staff are trained to the level of the BTEC intermediate award in Customs Export and Import Procedures.

HMRC is recognised globally as a leading customs authority and for the professionalism and expertise of its staff. HMRC staff are trained in customs procedures through a comprehensive internal blended Learning Framework that includes formal learning, coaching, mentoring, practical application, and mandatory continuous professional development. This blended Learning Framework covers all the tax areas HMRC is responsible for.

HMRC no longer aligns its training programme with BTEC qualifications, and instead relies on the Learning Framework which has been designed to build capability in incremental stages. This ensures that HMRC has the high quality training necessary to meet their bespoke knowledge and skills requirements. Ongoing assessment through a Quality Assurance Framework is used to ensure the capability of staff to carry out their role.

External accreditation includes World Customs Organization training in specialist areas such as Strategic Trade Control Enforcement.