Mr Philip Hammond asks Alastair Darling some very tricky Questions ...

Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge. Con. ) asks today PQ (193472) : To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what training courses were attended by HM Revenue and Customs staff in the last 12 months.

This will of course have nothing whatsoever to do with Common Purpose.

He will also ask 3 interlinked questions of the Chancellor :

1 -pursuant to his Answer of 22nd February 2008, Official Report, column 1117W, on fraud in HM Revenue and Customs, how many of the investigations into suspected fraudulent activity which have been conducted since 1st April 2007 led to a prosecution.

2. -what his estimate is of the cost to the public purse of the 35 investigations into suspected fraudulent activity by staff which have taken place since 1st April 2007.

3- if he will list the divisions of HM Revenue and Customs in which staff who were investigated for fraudulent activity in the last 12 months were employed.

The answers will be fascinating. Almost as fascinating as the Question (and answer) he obtained about Northern Rock on 25th February

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual value of new mortgages that Northern Rock will need to originate in order to prevent a non-asset covenant breach occurring of the Granite securitisation vehicles.

To which Angela Eagle gave the very careful reply (Parliamentary Secretary, HM Treasury)

"The sale of mortgages from Northern Rock into Granite is a commercial decision for Northern Rock. The estimated value of mortgages that Northern Rock would need to sell into Granite in order to avoid a non-asset trigger is a commercially sensitive matter."

... and of course Northern Rock is free from prying eyes under the Freedom of Information Act.