Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost was to HM Revenue and Customs related to insolvency procedures in each of the last five years.

The amount spent by HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) debt management offices in Worthing, Edinburgh and Newcastle on staff costs and insolvency expenses (e.g. court fees and payments to insolvency practitioners) was £32,594,200 in 2012/13, £26,337,346 in 2013/14, £30,295,668 in 2014/15 and £28,171,282 in 2015/16. Full data is not available for 2011/12. Across HMRC there are other staff working on specialist areas of insolvency but in the time available we cannot provide details of numbers or cost.