§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps he is taking to seek to curb the growth of the black economy in the construction sector; and if he will make a statement:
(2) what estimate he has of the growth of the black economy in the construction industry over the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MooreThe Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise keep under careful review the methods used to counter tax evasion in the construction industry. By the very nature of the problem, it is impossible to provide a reliable estimate of the tax lost through evasion.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has recently received concerning the impact of value added tax thresholds on the construction industry; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrookeTwenty representations have been received since the last Budget, 15 of them wanting a reduction or abolition of the threshold and five recommending that it be increased. The level of the threshold will, as usual, be reviewed as part of the preparations for my right hon. Friend's Budget.