§ Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSONasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether any specific complaints have been received from solicitors or law stationers respecting the delay and inefficiency in dealing with the Estate Duty Office work; whether he is aware that unchecked assessments may mean demands for duties on executors years hence, after estates have been wound up, when funds will not be available; whether the functions of the Accountant General of Inland Revenue up to 1906 extended to the checking of estate duty assessments; and, if so, what saving resulted during the last two years of that check?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHNo complaints have been received as to delay or want of efficiency in the Estate Duty office, and no assessments of death duties are sent out unchecked. Prior to 1908, a check, chiefly arithmetical, of such assessments was made in the Department of the Accountant General of Inland Revenue; but since then, an expert and more effective system of checking has been established in the Estate Duty Office, with considerable benefit to the revenue. No net saving resulted during the last two years of the former check, but a substantial gain has resulted from the change of system.
§ Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSONasked to what the increased cost of the Estate Duty Office of £23,000 in eight years is due; if it was due to additional work, when did the increase occur; and what was the number of posts created with maximum salaries over £500?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHThe increased cost of the Estate Duty Office was incurred owing to the necessity of providing a larger staff on the work connected with the Death Duties. The cost has increased in the eight years by 24 per cent., and the receipts of duty by 34 per cent. The number of posts created with maximum salaries over £500 was twenty-one.