Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the HMRC's National Advice Line is now questions on whether there will be an import duty or tariff in relation to trade with the EU to their constituency Member of Parliament for answer.

Delivering the deal negotiated with the EU remains the governments priority. However, if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, many UK businesses will need to apply the same processes to EU trade that apply when trading with the rest of the world. Guidance on customs procedures have been published on Gov.uk to include the temporary tariff structure which will be in place for 12 months after the UK leaves the EU.

All HMRC staff follow standard guidance when dealing with customer queries on import duty and tariffs. It is not standard practice to refer such questions to Members of Parliament to answer. All HMRC staff receive regular coaching on their work and there is a structured quality review process in place to identify any areas of improvement.