Fuels: Smuggling

Mr. Paterson
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland were convicted of offences relating to (a) fuel smuggling and (b) fuel laundering in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins
The most up to date details for oils fraud prosecutions were published in Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs autumn performance report 2008. In the period 2007-08 there were three convictions in Northern Ireland for hydrocarbon oil offences. The HMRC autumn performance report does not differentiate between types of hydrocarbon oils offences.