§ Q3. Mr. Dormandasked the Prime Minister whether he will pay an official visit to Peterlee.
§ The Prime MinisterI have at present no plans to do so.
§ Mr. DormandWill the Prime Minister reconsider that decision so that he can see for himself why Peterlee new town is in so much greater need of the V.A.T. centre than is Southend-on-Sea? Will he explain to the House why he has told us on several occasions that the number of staff to be employed in the centre is very small, when his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer told me on 2nd August that the number will depend on the scope and coverage of the tax? Is not that a contradiction and part of the continuing deception by the Government?
§ The Prime MinisterWe recognise the particular problems of Peterlee, and that was why it was declared a special 825 development area by the present Government. I have been to Peterlee on previous occasions and I know some of the problems of that new town, particularly that in some ways it needs diversification. I fully appreciate that. I have already said that the headquarters element needed to operate V.A.T. was being combined with the existing Customs headquarters at Southend but that the rest of the staff would be spread round the country in regional offices.