§ Mr. Ronald Bellasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why he caused weekly tax tables for weeks 48 to 52 of Income Tax year 1967–68 to be issued in view of the fact that instructions for deducting Income Tax for this period are given on pages 6 and 41 of Employer's Guide to Pay As You Earn; and what cost was involved by this issue.
§ Mr. Diamond:These tables were issued to avoid excessive P.A.Y.E. deductions which would have resulted from using the dates for these P.A.Y.E. weeks printed in the previous tables. It was considered that the references in the Employer's Guide would not have been a sufficient safeguard against such mistakes. The 418W cost of printing the tables and distributing them to employers was about£58,000.
§ Mr. Joplingasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the cost to public funds in producing and posting the special weekly tax tables for the period 29th February to 3rd April, 1968, which have become necessary because 1968 is a leap year.
§ Mr. Diamond:I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I have made today to a Question by the hon. and learned Member for Buckinghamshire, South (Mr. Ronald Bell).