Q17. Mr. Ted Fletcherasked the Prime Minister how many letters he has received making representations against the Government's decision to locate the value-added tax centre in a non-development 343W area, in view of the high unemployment in the region ; and what replies he has sent.
§ The Prime MinisterI have received a few letters on the location of the V.A.T. headquarters. The replies have explained that reports of the numbers of staff to be employed on V.A.T. at Southend have been greatly exaggerated ; and that nearly three quarters of the staff needed to run V.A.T. will be in local offices throughout the country, many of them in the development areas.