Advanced

PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Revenue and Customs (9 November 2021)

Question Asked

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the (a) annual budget and (b) number of staff was for HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service in each of the last five years.

Asked by:
Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative)

Answer

HMRC is determined that tax fraud should not pay. Since the launch of our Fraud Investigation Service in 2015-16, we have secured and protected nearly £30 billion for our vital public services and secured more than 3,800 criminal convictions. In addition, HMRC’s Spending Review settlement includes £100 million for more resources for HMRC to tackle all forms of non-compliance, including avoidance and evasion, and continued funding of over £70 million for the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce to combat fraud and abuse of the Covid-19 schemes.

The tables below detail the full-time equivalent staffing levels in both Fraud Investigation Service (1) and the Proceeds of Crime unit (2).

1. HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22 *

a) Annual Budget (approx.)- includes Pay-bill, Other Resource Costs, Income & Capital.

£240m

£260m

£300m

£300m

£300m

b) Full-time equivalent staff at the end of the year (approx.)

4,100

4,400

4,900

4,400

4,900

*2021-22 staff number is a year-end projection

2. HMRC's Proceeds of Crime Unit (HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service hosts this function)

a) The annual budget for this function has not been provided as it forms a part of the wider budget allocation for the Fraud Investigation Service.

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22 *

b) Full-time equivalent staff at the end of the year (approx.)

400

350

400

350

400

*2021-22 staff number is a year-end projection


Answered by:
Lucy Frazer (Conservative)
19 November 2021

Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.