Customs Officers: Manpower

Mark Williams
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many customs officers are employed at UK ports; and how many are expected to be employed at UK ports in each of the next five years.

John Healey
Staff engaged on frontline operational activity at the frontier operate in a mobile, flexible and intelligence-led manner. They are not, in the main, allocated to particular ports and their duties may involve them working at ports, airports or inland locations.

Some 4500 staff from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs’ Detection directorate are employed on frontline operational duties at ports and airports. Other HMRC staff also attend ports and airports as part of their official duties.

HMRC plans to maintain the number of frontline staff employed at UK borders in 2007-08 but no firm figures are yet available for this year or beyond.