Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparative assessment he has made of the number of HM Revenue and Customs staff trained in customs regulations and procedures with the number of such staff in other EU countries per capita of relative population size.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has not carried out a comparative assessment of the numbers of trained customs staff across EU countries. The European Commission collates data on the number of customs staff in the EU but recognises that Member States are not able to provide definitive answers.

This is because the administrative structures to deliver customs functions differ considerably across the EU. Customs functions are often merged with tax administrations or interior ministries and this prevents a comparative assessment between Member States from being undertaken.