§ Mr. Peter Reesasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the functions of the special offices of the Inland Revenue; how many have been set up so far; how many it is proposed to set up; under what authority they are set up; how many people will be employed in them; and what will be the annual cost.
§ Mr. Robert SheldonThese offices will handle work of special complexity from existing tax offices, including major cases of avoidance and evasion. One office of 17 staff has been set up in Edinburgh and two more of about the same size will be set up on 7th June in London and Manchester. Most of the staff for these three offices have been found from existing staff: the total additional cost is about £30,000 per annum. Other offices will be set up as experience suggests. The authority lies in the Board's statutory responsibility for the care and management of the taxes.