§ Mr. Lawsonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the likely cost of the proposed computerisation of pay-as-you-earn; and what action he plans to take to avoid the type of cost overruns experienced in computerising driving licence registration at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre, Swansea.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon:The Inland Revenue team carrying out the feasibility study for the computerisation of PAYE is expected to report by the end of 1979. The report will include a fully costed implementation plan and until the detailed work needed to complete that plan has been carried out, estimates of the total cost must be largely guess work.
The work of the feasibility study is already being carefully documented and controlled and if implementation of the project is approved, all aspects, including cost, will be strictly monitored.