§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases have been referred to the revenue adjudicator as complaints arising out of the taxpayers charter; in how many cases the revenue adjudicator has upheld the complaint; what has been the total compensation awarded by the revenue adjudicator following complaints; and what actions have been taken by the adjudicator to monitor and improve the performance of the office in which complaints have been upheld.
§ Sir George YoungThe adjudicator has received 3,794 complaints since her office opened on 1 May 1993. She has taken up 717 of these for full investigation. Of the 359 cases she has settled, she has found wholly or partly in favour of the complainant in 195 cases. She has recommended that the Inland Revenue pay compensation in 90 of these. The total compensation recommended was £37,181. The Inland Revenue has accepted all these recommendations. The adjudicator meets senior Inland Revenue managers on a regular basis to discuss her recommendations and views.
It is for Inland Revenue managers to decide what actions need to be taken to improve performance in any particular area in the light of adjudicator's recommendations and views. The Revenue has assured me that it does attach great importance to improving performance where they have been at fault.
The 3,077 cases which the adjudicator did not take up for full investigation were mainly ones where the complainant had not first tried to sort out the complaint through the Inland Revenue's own complaints system. In these cases, the adjudicator put the complainant in touch with the right person in the Inland Revenue, and where necessary helped the complainant clarify the terms of the complaint.