HL Deb 11 December 1969 vol 306 cc650-1

3.8 p.m.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their attention has been drawn to the Fifth Report of the Estimates Committee (Session 1968–69) which states that the errors and delays resulting from the overwork of the Inland Revenue Department are causing widespread distress and hardship for which there is no legal right of redress, and that the fundamental cause of the Inland Revenue's plight is the growth in tax legislation over the last few years, and whether Her Majesty's Government will take any steps to remedy this state of affairs.]

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, the Government are now studying the Report, and as soon as they have fully considered its recommendations they will give their observations to Parliament in a White Paper.

THE EARL OF DUNDEE

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for that Answer, but may I ask whether he is aware that the Inland Revenue is physically incapable of bearing the burden of the extra work which has been imposed upon it during the last five or six years, that it is no uncommon thing for six months to be taken over answering a letter, and that the correspondence is often equally bewildering to the writer and to the recipient?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I am not sure that the latter part of what the noble Earl said is fair, but as to the first part it is a fact that an enormous burden has been put upon the Inland Revenue and we should all like to lighten it.

LORD BLYTON

My Lords, while recognising what the Report says about the distress caused by the problem that has been raised, may I ask whether my noble friend is aware that if we get the value-added tax there will be chaos and disaster in future?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I think there is a good deal in what my noble friend says. It is also fair to say that when we brought in a tax that did not add to the burden on the Inland Revenue —namely, the selective employment tax —we had even greater criticism from the other side.