HC Deb 09 March 1987 vol 112 cc18-20
86. Mr. Gerald Bowden

asked the Minister for the Civil Service how many official forms have been scrapped since 1979.

Mr. Luce

Since the Government's review of forms began in 1982, at least 17,500 forms have been abolished and 25,000 have been improved.

Mr. Bowden

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on that achievement. Can a price be put on it? Can he say how much has been saved by scrapping those forms? Is there not a case for simplifying the forms that must remain to ensure that they are understood even by the most simpleminded of us?

Mr. Luce

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. The saving made so far is £9 million of taxpayers' money. I hope that, as a result of the more recent reductions in the number of forms, further savings will be made. I welcome the fact that there is a campaign, led by Chrissie Maher, that is designed to improve plain English in this country. Her campaign has helped to improve and simplify many of the forms that the Government produce for taxpayers.

Mr. Holt

Could my right hon. Friend state why it is necessary for the Ministry of Defence to circulate a form asking about ethnic origin, when the Secretary of State for Defence has refused to do that for the armed forces? What is the difference?

Mr. Luce

Principally, that is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

Mr. Dykes

Despite that welcome reduction, is my right hon. Friend aware that the tax assessment regulation forms now total more than 600 pages, compared with half that figure in 1950? Will he discuss that with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to see whether it can be reduced in the forthcoming Finance Bill?

Mr. Luce

I shall certainly discuss that with my right hon. Friend. For my part, I will do anything that I can to try to simplify the forms and make sure that they are better understood and more easily interpreted by the citizens of this country.

Mr. Skinner

Is the Minister aware that the simplest of all the forms recently issed in the Civil Service was the one that asked civil servants whether they wanted to set up a political fund in the Civil and Public Services Association? As a result of all the attacks by the Government on civil liberties of one kind or another, the CPSA decided by a majority of 2:1, on this very official form, that they would set up a political fund. Does he agree that that shows that civil servants realise they have been badly treated by the Tory Government?

Mr. Luce

The vast majority of civil servants wish to do what has always been their duty—remain impartial. The Government believe that trade unions need political funds only if they propose to participate in party political activities or to campaign for or against political parties or candidates.