§ Mr. Silvesterasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will indicate the size of any recent increases in manpower deployed both by the Inland Revenue and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in pursuit of the black economy, both in figures and as a percentage of the total.
§ Mr. Hayhoe[pursuant to his reply, 19 March 1984, c. 320]: The increase, since October 1982, in Inland Revenue manpower deployed in investigating tax evasion, including the black economy, taking into account planned increases to April 1988 which have already been announced, amounts to approximately 1,500. The greater part of the increase is accounted for by the redeployment of 850 officers for work investigating "ghosts", persons unknown to the Revenue, and "moonlighters", persons with secondary earnings, announced last November. 1,500 represents about a 67 per cent. increase in the total of staff units so employed by the Inland Revenue as at October 1982.
267WCustoms and Excise does not employ staff solely in pursuit of the black economy, and efforts to combat VAT evasion are continually being made. However, in 1984–85 an additional 150 staff are to be employed on VAT control duties. It is hoped that further additions will be possible in future years.