Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made an assessment of trends in the level of tax (a) evasion and (b) avoidance linked to candy retail stores.

As my rt. hon Friend the Prime Minister said, the Government recently launched a major crackdown against criminals using high street businesses to launder money at almost 400 properties, which involved securing freezing orders over bank accounts totaling more than £1 million and arresting 35 individuals.

HMRC is leading a cross-Government risk assessment to establish a shared understanding of the key risks and their underlying drivers. The findings of this assessment will inform a revitalised and more ambitious coordinated cross-government approach to addressing the harms associated with these retail models.