§ Dr. Owenasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has received the detailed plan from the steering committee established by the Board of Inland Revenue for computerisation of PAYE; whether the report will be published; whether any decisions have yet been made in relation to the structure of the system; if so, what is the date at which full computerisation is expected to be achieved; and to what extent the design of the system precludes the introduction of either local income tax or self-assessment or delays their introduction.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweProposals based on the Inland Revenue's detailed feasibility study of the computerisation of PAYE are under consideration. They envisage an on-line system, equipping staff in local tax offices with terminals on their desks linked to regional computer centres, with a target date for full cornputerisation in 1987. No decision has yet been taken on publication. Nor yet on the details of the complete system. The intention is that it should not preclude314W the possibility of a subsequent move to self-assessment.