CUSTOMS AND EXCISE AND DIVERSION FRAUD

Early day motion 1796, tabled 25 October 2004 by Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 15 members.

That this House notes the Government's insistence on introducing strip stamps on bottles of spirits in the face of widespread opposition; further notes the ongoing police investigation, Operation Gestalt, relating to claims of smuggling duty-free alcohol from a bonded warehouse, London City Bond; further notes that the owner of the warehouse, Mr Alfred Allington, was a registered Customs informant from 1994 but that this information was deliberately withheld in a number of court cases; concludes that strip stamps are being introduced because of difficulties at the highest level of Customs and Excise rather than to prevent fraud as the Government claimed; and therefore calls on the Government to abandon plans to introduce strip stamps and for the Economic Secretary to the Treasury to make a statement to the House on this matter at the earliest opportunity.

Signatures by party: Liberal Democrat 10, DUP 3, Scottish National Party 2.