To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many investigations of alleged tax defaulters begun by HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessors in each of the last 10 years have resulted in proceedings being issued and a conviction.

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many investigations of alleged tax defaulters begun by HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessors in each of the last 10 years have resulted in (a) proceedings being issued and (b) a conviction. [159817]

The Solicitor-General: I have been asked to reply.

Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) was created as an independent Government Department on 18 April 2005.

The following table lists the number of tax prosecutions we have brought since 1998. It should be noted that the number of cases does not necessarily have a one to one correlation with the number of HMRC investigations undertaken.

	Number of cases	Number of cases resulting in convictions	Type of case
2007-08(1)	132	124	VAT and former IR crime group taxes cases
2006-07	251	227	VAT and former IR crime group taxes cases
2005-06	(2)—	(2)—	—
2004-05	(2)—	(2)—	—
2003-04	79	69	VAT only
2002-03	90	74	VAT only
2001-02	97	62	VAT only
2000-01	129	88	VAT only
1999-2000	94	73	VAT only
1998-99	96	74	VAT only
(1) 2007-08 includes figures for April to September (six months). (2) This data could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

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