§ Sir R. Taskerasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the War Damage Commission have been directed by the Treasury to impound all invoices and receipts presented in support of claims arising out of damage to buildings caused by enemy action; whether he is aware that in one regional office of the War Damage Commission demands are made that all invoices and receipts in support of claims are required to be lodged permanently; that such action will prevent production of receipts required by the Inland Revenue when making assessment for Income Tax purposes; and whether he will reconsider this question?
§ Sir K. WoodThe Commission normally retain receipted accounts and invoices as they are required for production to the Controller and Auditor-General as evidence that payments made out of moneys provided by Parliament have been properly disbursed. The number of cases in which such accounts would also be required by the claimant for production to the Inland Revenue is likely to be small, but I will arrange for the adoption in those cases of a procedure which will avoid unnecessary inconvenience to claimants.