§ 51. Mr. F. Macleanasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how he accounts for the increase of 15,278 in the number of officials empowered to enter private business and residential premises between 15th July, 1950, and March, 1951; and what the figure was at 1st June, 1951.
§ Mr. Gaitskell:I am sorry that there has been some misunderstanding about this. The number of officials authorised to enter private houses used exclusively as such rose, not by 15,278, but by 1,789 from 4,170 in July, 1950, to 5,959 in March, 1951, the latest date for which figures are available. This increase is due to the Inland Revenue valuation staff recruited for the work transferred to that Department under the 1948 Local Government Act. The figure of 19,448 which the hon.. Member has in mind is the total number of officials authorised, in March, 1951, to enter property of one kind or another, and compares with a figure of 18,342 for May, 1950. This change is accounted for by the increase in Inland Revenue 28W staff, partly offset by a reduction in the number of such officials employed by other Departments.