§ Mr. David ShawTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the amount of(a) average, (b) lowest and (c) highest total costs of relocation incurred by an employee and reimbursed or paid directly by an employer in respect of civil servants in (i) Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, (ii) Her Majesty's Inland Revenue and (iii) Her Majesty's Treasury in the last two years.
302W
§ Mr. DorrellDuring the past two years, the total amounts of payments made to, or on behalf of, employees relocated by the departments specified—excluding additional housing cost allowances which are only paid to those employees moving to higher cost areas—are given in the table:
Average £000 Lowest £000 Highest £000 Customs and Excise 32 3 1245 Inland Revenue 227 1 198 Treasury 17 9 26 Notes:1 The highest total payments made are due to a combination of factors including the slump in the United Kingdom housing market, particularly in London and the south-east, and the fact that the employees concerned experienced long delay in disposing of their properties at their former locations. The bulk of the payments represent reimbursed bridging loan interest and special payments to relieve financial hardship of employees in respect of a fall in the value of their properties whilst they were on the market.
2 This is the average figure of 1991–92, the latest year available.