§ Mr. Woolmerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of investigations into illegal trade practices, involving false declaration of product particulars 480W including country of origin, among textiles and clothing goods, which have been undertaken by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise since 1 January 1973; and if he will make a statement regarding the Government's policy on enforcement of import regulations by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.
§ Mr. Peter ReesI shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Marlowasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of domestic ratepayers; how many income taxpayers are not also ratepayers; and how many ratepayers pay no income tax.
§ Mr. Peter Rees[pursuant to his reply, 9 May 1980, c. 280]: The estimated number of domestic ratepayers at April 1979, the latest information available, is about 21.4 million.
I regret that the further information required is not available from administrative sources.
The number of taxpayers—counting married couples as one—in both 1979–80 and 1980–81 is about 21.3 million. Inland Revenue records do not distinguish taxpayers who are or are not ratepayers.
The family expenditure survey results for 1977 indicate that at that time about a quarter of ratepayers were not taxpayers, and about a quarter of taxpaying units—counting married couples as one—were not ratepayers, though the survey information does not give a precise determination of a person's tax position.