Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many debt collection companies HMRC has employed since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.
HMRC use eight different debt collection agencies and the debt can be spread across them at any one time. HMRC do not contract directly with these agencies, but instead have access to their services via the Debt Market Integrator. This organisation acts as a broker and routes the debts to the debt collection agencies that are members of the panel. This is the same way that other Government departments have access to debt collection agency services. The Debt Market Integrator itself is a joint venture between Cabinet Office and the private sector.