HC Deb 03 November 1970 vol 805 cc840-1
23. Mr. John Hall

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total cost incurred in collecting and managing the revenue, including costs properly attributable to the Inland Revenue but charged out of Votes of other Departments, for the years 1958, 1959, 1968 and 1969, expressed both in sterling and as a percentage of revenue collected.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

Figures for calendar years are not available; for the years ending 31st March, 1959, 1960, 1969 and 1970 the costs of collecting the Inland Revenue duties were £46.4 million, £49.4 million, £94.9 million and £103.9 million, or 1.54 per cent., 1.60 per cent., 1.45 per cent. and 1.39 per cent. of the net revenue.

Mr. Hall

Does my hon. Friend agree that those figures are considerably higher than those contained in the last annual report of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue? If that is so, why were not the true figures disclosed in that report? Secondly, is my hon. Friend satisfied that these considerable increases in cost are fully justified?

Mr. Jenkin

On the first part of my hon. Friend's Question, he will be aware that the Inland Revenue recently was advised by a Committee of this House to change these figures from gross to net receipts—in other words, receipts after repayments. That accounts for the change to which he has drawn attention.

On the second part of his Question, this point was exhaustively examined by the Estimates Committee, which accepted that the costs per head of staff, the shortening of Civil Service working hours and the increasing complexity of the work which tax officers have to do have largely accounted for the trends to which my hon. Friend has drawn attention.