This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Search of premises'.



 
 
 
Central Policy 
 
 
 
Teresa Chance 
Information Policy and Disclosure 
1C/25 
100 Parliament Street 
 
 
London  SW1A 2BQ 
 
James Harvey 
 
 
By email to: 
Phone 
020 7147 3253 
 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx 
           
 
      
 
 
 
Fax 
020 7147 0666 
 
 
  
www.hmrc.gov.uk 
 
Date 
5 December 2011 
 
 
Our ref 
FOI 2577/11  
e-mail  
xxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xxx.xx
Your ref 
           
________ 
 
           
           
 
 
Dear Mr Harvey, 
 
Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) 
 
Thank you for your e-mail dated 6th November 2011, requesting information under the above 
Act. 
 
You asked: 
 
“(a) The number of times that premises have been searched under section 161 (writ of 
assistance) of the CEMA 1979.   
(b) The number of times that premises have been searched under section 161A (search 
warrant) of the CEMA 1979. 
For the last full year for which figures are available.” 
 
I can confirm that HMRC holds information that falls within the description specified in your 
request.  However, we estimate that the cost of complying with your request would exceed 
the appropriate limit of £600.  The appropriate limit is specified in regulations and for central 
government is set at £600.  This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3.5 
working days determining if the department holds the information.  This includes locating, 
retrieving and extracting the information.  Under section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information 
Act 2000 the department is not obliged to comply with your request and we will not be 
processing it further. 
 
By way of advice and assistance, I can however say regarding (a) that the annual return for 
Writ of Assistance usage figures for April 2010 – March 2011 is 172.  
 
Regarding (b), no annual returns are required to be made in respect of search warrants.  
Some management information is kept but it would be necessary to carry out further 
searches to establish the exact legislation used on each occasion.  Please note that HMRC 
 
Information is available in large print, audio and Braille formats.   
Text Relay service prefix number – 18001  
 
 
2577 11 J Harvey Response
    

 
 
 
 
carries out most premises searches under a variety of other legislation, or in limited 
circumstances, by consent. 
 
If you are not happy with this reply you may request an internal review by e-mailing 
xxx.xxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xxx.xx or by writing to HMRC FOI Team, Room 1C/25, 100 Parliament 
Street, London SWIA 2BQ.  You must request a review within 2 months of the date of this 
letter.  It would assist our review if you set out which aspects of the reply concern you and 
why you are dissatisfied. 
  
If you are not happy with the outcome of the internal review, you may apply directly to the 
Information Commissioner for a decision.  Generally, the Information Commissioner cannot 
make a decision unless you have exhausted the review procedure provided by HMRC.  He 
can be contacted at The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, 
Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.  E-mail:xxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xxx.xx 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
Teresa Chance 
 
 
 
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