§ Mr. Trotterasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Inland Revenue circulated a notice of pending criminal trial giving the name, address and professional designation of an accountant to be charged at Leeds Crown Court with submitting false balance sheets with intent to defraud the Revenue; whether it is normal practice to circulate details of those to be prosecuted; and why, when the Revenue abandoned the prosecution, no notice to this effect was circulated and a professional journal or inquiry at Somerset House was told that a full report was not available as the solicitor concerned was engaged on another case.
§ Mr. Robert Sheldon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 6th December 1978; Vol. 959, c. 690], gave the following answer:
It is the normal practice of the Board of Inland Revenue to issue a press notice giving particulars of each impending criminal prosecution and, as soon as possible after the event, a further press notice indicating the outcome, whether favourable or unfavourable to the Revenue. In the case to which the hon. Member refers, a breakdown in communication within the Department resulted in the failure to issue the second of the two notices. The Revenue regrets this omission and is reviewing its working procedure to ensure that there will be no recurrence.