§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will publish in the Official Report (a) the numbers claiming tax refunds while unemployed and (b) the average length of time for which rebates are payable;
(2) what are the numbers of unemployed eligible for a tax rebate (a) lasting one month or less, (b) lasting three months or less, (c) lasting six months or less, (d) lasting nine months or less and(e) lasting more than nine months.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon,pursuant to his reply[Official Report, 21st December 1976], gave the following information:
The number of income tax repayments made by the Inland Revenue on grounds of unemployment in 1975–76 was 1.9 million. This figure relates to the number of repayment orders made, as distinct from the number of persons who made claims, and it does not include those repayments made directly by employers when the taxpayer begins work again. I regret that there is no information available about the length of time for which rebates are payable.