Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what target the Government has set for recruiting new HMRC customs agents by 1 January 2021; how many of those agents have been recruited as at 1 June 2020; how many of the 20,000 training courses have been applied for by (a) newly recruited agents and (b) current employees.

HMRC do not employ customs agents/customs intermediaries directly. The UK has a well-established industry of customs intermediaries which serve British businesses trading outside the EU. The sector is varied and made up of a number of different business models including specific customs brokers, freight forwarders and fast parcel operators; all of which require differing numbers of staff. Government support of £34m has been designed to meet the needs of the sector flexibly to build capacity by covering training and IT innovation, as well as recruitment.

This support has funded approximately 20,000 training courses in customs processes and procedures and the creation of a new UK Customs Academy to provide online training courses and industry-recognised qualifications.

The sector is encouraged to innovate flexibly to meet demand and as such HMRC do not prescribe whether training support should be for existing or new staff.