§ Lord REIGATEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to make it more widely known among taxpayers, particularly married women, that they are entitled to be separately assessed for income tax.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE, DEPARTMENT of the ENVIRONMENT (Baroness Birk)My Lords, the Government agree that greater publicity for the separate assessment provisions is needed. The Inland Revenue are issuing two new leaflets later this year; one dealing generally with the tax treatment of married couples, including separate assessment, and the other explaining the separate assessment provisions in greater detail. Both leaflets will be publicised and widely available.
§ Lord REIGATEMy Lords, while that reply is satisfactory so far as it goes, may I ask the Minister whether she is aware that issuing a leaflet is one thing but how widely it is publicised is another? Will it be widely publicised and will there be a campaign in the Press?
§ Baroness BIRKMy Lords, I do not know the details at the moment, but I am well aware that to get this publicised widely it will need very wide publicity, wider than having it available in, say, tax offices, and I will, with great pleasure, be prepared to take this up with my right honourable friends.
§ Baroness ELLESMy Lords, are measures being taken to see that new forms are issued to husbands who must fill in Inland Revenue forms and that the income of the wife will not be included on such forms?
§ Baroness BIRKThe forms at present issued to married women, those which have given understandable offence to them, are being reviewed by the Government, my Lords, which means presumably that new forms will have to be issued.
Baroness WARD of NORTH TYNESIDEMy Lords, would the Minister and my noble friend accept my congratulations at the very quick action which was taken? Will the noble Baroness accept that on this occasion I am delighted to be able to congratulate the Government?
§ Baroness BIRKMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness very much and would add on behalf of the Government how grateful we are to have her good wishes.
§ Lord PARGITERMy Lords, is it the intention ultimately that married women who are separately assessed shall not be chargeable against their husbands for tax?
§ Baroness BIRKThat is a different point, my Lords. I think my noble friend is referring to aggregation, a matter at which the Government are looking. My right honourable friend the Chief Secretary said last week that the Government were considering that as well, but it is a rather longer-term problem than the two issues with which I have been dealing.