§ Mr. Heddleasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply of 16 February to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Mrs. Knight), Official Report, c. 152, whether the staffing survey which investigated the gains in efficiency if provincial stamp offices were closed consulted the Law Society before reaching its conclusions.
§ Mr. WakehamThe survey of the controller of stamps branch of the Inland Revenue was an internal review carried out by the Department's own staffing inspectors. The Law Society was not consulted at that stage. If after consideration of the staffing inspectors' report the board had concluded that there was a case for closing the local offices the Law Society would have been consulted before any decision was taken. The board is at present discussing the position of the Sheffield and Glasgow offices with the Law Society and the Law Society of Scotland respectively.