§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to consult the Welsh Language Board and the Secretary of State for Wales regarding any proposal by the Inland Revenue for the closure or transfer of staff from any office providing a service in the Welsh language.
§ Mr. DorrellThe Inland Revenue's programme of change for the whole of the United Kingdom is improving the service of taxpayers by organising work more effectively. Some offices will close. However, in Wales, this will not involve any deterioration in the Welsh language service provided.
All tax offices in Wales provide a full Welsh language service and will continue to do so. The service is supported by a Welsh language unit. This was set up in 1990 in accordance with guidelines published by the Welsh Language Board. It is available to all those who wish to correspond or converse in Welsh and can also be used by those whose tax affairs are dealt with outside Wales.
Consultation with the Welsh Language Board and the Secretary of State for Wales on changes to local offices is not needed.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish for each year since 1990 for each county in Wales and for Wales as a whole(a) the total number of Inland Revenue employees and (b) the number of Inland Revenue employees who are Welsh speaking;
(2) if he will publish for each year since 1990 for each county in Wales, and for Wales as a whole the number of Inland Revenue officers and the number of Inland Revenue officers able to provide a service in the Welsh language.
§ Mr. DorrellInformation is not available in the precise form requested. The Inland Revenue monitors the number of Welsh-speaking employees each year but does not maintain an historic record. The number of Inland Revenue employees serving in Wales for each year between 1990 to 1993 was as follows:
1990 1991 1992 1993 Clwyd 469 519 628 629 Dyfed 257 279 297 291 Gwent 283 297 311 306 Gwynedd 169 189 198 194 Mid Glamorgan 234 242 251 255 South Glamorgan 2,504 2,631 2,771 2,760 Powys 83 91 93 92 West Glamorgan 237 263 311 308 TOTAL 4,236 4,511 4,860 4,835 (a) The current number of Inland Revenue employees serving in each county of Wales is as follows:
124W
Number Clwyd 631 Dyfed 301 Gwent 309
Number Gwynedd 199 Mid Glamorgan 254 South Glamorgan 2,756 Powys 92 West Glamorgan 310 The total number of Inland Revenue employees serving in Wales as a whole is 4,852.
(b) The current number of Inland Revenue employees serving in each county of Wales who are recorded as Welsh speakers is as follows:
Number Clwyd 30 Dyfed 62 Gwent 3 Gwynedd 71 Mid Glamorgan 9 South Glamorgan 55 Powys 3 West Glamorgan 22 The total number of Inland Revenue employees who are Welsh speaking is 255.