Tom Elliott – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Elliott on 2016-04-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions she has had with HM Revenue and Customs on the level of prosecutions relating to cross-border fuel smuggling and laundering.

Mrs Theresa Villiers

Prosecutions relating to cross-border fuel smuggling and laundering are a matter for HM Revenue and Customs, whose policy is to arrest individuals where there is evidence that they have been involved in fuel fraud, as long as this is proportionate.

The Northern Ireland Executive, under the Fresh Start Agreement, is implementing additional measures aimed at tackling the impact of criminality and paramilitarism in Northern Ireland. That includes the establishment of a new cross-jurisdictional joint agency task force with a focus on a range of crimes, including fuel smuggling and laundering.