asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent measures he has taken to ensure that Her Majesty's Customs and Excise have all the necessary staff and resources to prevent the Illegal importation of drugs into the United Kingdom.

Customs and Excise resources are being reviewed in the context of this year's PES round, but during my visit to Heathrow on 7 October I announced that a minimum of another 150 preventive staff would be recruited next year. This follows the announcement in June that a further 50 specialist drugs investigators would be appointed in the current year.