§ Mr. Martenasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he proposes to take on the Inland Revenue report dealing with allegations of fraud by some workers in the Fleet Street newspaper industry; and if he will publish the report.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 22nd November
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TERMS OF TRADE AND RELATIVE VOLUME INDICES FOR MANUFACTURED GOODS OTS basis Total manufactures Semi-manufactures Finished manufactures 1970=100 1975=100 1970=100 1975=100 1970=100 1975=100 Terms of Trade* 1976— 1st quarter … … 104 101 104 101 102 100 2nd quarter … … 101 98 100 97 100 98 3rd quarter … … 101 98 99 97 100 99 4th quarter … … 99 97 99 96 98 97 1977— 1st quarter … … 103 98 100 96 104 99 2nd quarter … … 102 100 100 97 104 101 3rd quarter … … 106 101 102 98 107 103 4th quarter … … 109 103 105 99 111 104 1978— 1st quarter … … NA 104 NA 100 NA 105 2nd quarter … … NA 103 NA 102 NA 102 3rd quarter … … NA 103 NA 100 NA 104 Relative Volume† 1976— 1st quarter … … 85 104 94 102 76 105 2nd quarter … … 84 98 99 107 73 92 3rd quarter … … 82 99 98 110 67 91 4th quarter … … 82 99 99 109 68 94 1977— 1st quarter … … 79 97 98 110 64 89 2nd quarter … … 81 94 103 111 65 84 3rd quarter … … 85 103 101 114 70 93 4th quarter … … 78 97 96 110 64 90 1978— 1st quarter … … NA 90 NA 100 NA 82 2nd quarter … … NA 84 NA 102 NA 74 3rd quarter … … NA 88 NA 97 NA 80 * Export unit value index as percentage of import unit value index. Not seasonally adjusted. † Export volume index as percentage of import volume index. Seasonally adjusted. NA=Not available. The 1970-based index numbers were not compiled for periods after 1977. 1978; Vol. 958. c. 643], gave the following reply:
The Inland Revenue is reviewing the question of tax in relation to arrangements for the payment of casual workers in the Fleet Street printing industry. The rules of confidentiality do not allow any papers relating to the matter to be made public.