§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have contacted the confidential telephone line set up on the advice of Lord Grabiner's report on the informal economy; and how much(a) tax has been received and (b) benefit expenditure has been saved as a result. [134553]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe number of calls received up to the end of October 2000 by the Tax and Benefits Confidential Helpline is 12,633. The amounts of tax recovered and benefits expenditure saved as a result of the line are not available and cannot be estimated. The phone line gives people the opportunity to find out where they stand on a no-names basis, so the numbers that have put their tax and benefits affairs in order as a result of the advice they were given are unknown.