§ Mr. Iain Millsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequerif he is satisfied that the application of value added tax at the full rate on bloodstock in the United Kingdom is consistent with the Treaty of Rome; and if he will have regard to the 342W different approach taken by Eire and France, with a view to ensuring that exporters of bloodstock are not disadvantaged.
§ Mr. Peter ReesI shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the normal time lag between receipt and refunding of value added tax payments; what is the average time lag at the present time; and what sums are now being held by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise which ought to have been paid out under normal circumstances.
§ Mr. Peter Rees[pursuant to his reply, 14 April 1981, c. 105]: The time lag between receipt of claims and the repayment of value added tax varies, but normally over 90 per cent. of valid claims are paid within 10 days of receipt by Customs and Excise.
I regret that because of the current strike of data processing staff at the Customs and Excise computer centre in Southend it is not possible at present to make repayments. In this connection I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Mr. Eggar) on 6 April—[Vol. 2. c. 186]. In normal circumstances Customs and Excise would have made repayments of value added tax amounting to some £600 million during the five weeks since the strike began.
§ Mr. Stephen Rossasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cause of the delay in refunding value added tax payments.
§ Mr. Peter Rees[pursuant to his reply, 14 April 1981, c. 105]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Mr. Eggar) on 6 April 1981.—[Vol. 2, c. 186.]