§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual loss of revenue caused by tax and national insurance evasion in the construction industry; what plans he has to reduce that evasion; and what additional resources he will deploy for that purpose. [8686]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThere is no official estimate of the loss of revenue caused by evasion in the construction industry, or any means of arriving at a reliable estimate. Legislation contained in the 1995 and 1996 Finance Acts will greatly reduce the opportunities for evasion by bringing considerably more subcontractors within the scheme for deductions on account and tax and national insurance contributions and by requiring them to carry registration cards. A new computer system is being developed to support the scheme. Additional resources have also recently been made available to help to enforce compliance within the construction industry.