§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the ratio of current employment costs of value added tax control officers to undeclared value added tax discovered and recouped; and what are the figures for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. BrookeThe ratio of current employment costs of value added tax control officers to underdeclared value added tax discovered is 1:6.9. This figure is for the financial year ending 31 March 1986. The corresponding figures for each financial year ending 31 March since 1979 are as follows:
Ratio 1979 1:1.4 1980 1:1.7 1981 1:2.8 1982 1:2.9 1983 1:5.1 1984 1:5.4 1985 1:6.0 The amount of underdeclared tax actually recouped is not available. However, approximately 99 per cent. of all declared and assessed tax is collected each year.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many value added tax control officers are at present employed in England and Wales; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1979.
§ Mr. BrookeI regret that separate figures for the number of value added tax control officers employed in England and Wales are not available and the information requested would be disproportionately expensive to calculate.
However, figures for the United Kingdom as a whole, for the financial year ending 31 March, are as follows:
51W
Number 1979 4,000 1980 3,700 1981 3,600 1982 3,800 1983 3,550 1984 3,650 1985 3,900 1986 4,040
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage rise in the value of underdeclarations of value added tax discovered per value added tax control officer since 1979.
§ Mr. BrookeThe percentage rise since 1 April 1979 after allowing for inflation is 368 per cent.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average increase in the value of underdeclarations of value added tax discovered per value added tax control officer in each year since 1979.
§ Mr. BrookeThe increases year by year in the average value of underdeclarations discovered by each value added tax control officer are as follows (figures relate to the financial year ending 31 March):—
£ 1980 7,450 1981 17,850 1982 3,950 1983 38,350 1984 4,850 1985 12,800 1986 22,300
§ Mr. Wareingasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many posts in Her Majesty's Customs and Excise arise from the need to collect and administer value added tax.
§ Mr. BrookeThe number of full-time staff directly employed on the collection and administration of value added tax, including staff employed on fraud and revenue accounting was 10,849 at 31 March 1986. A further 275 posts have been allocated for 1986–87.
§ Mr. Wareingasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the submission made to him by the Society of Civil and Public Servants and the Civil and Public Services Association about the staffing of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise on value added tax work; and what his response was.
§ Mr. BrookeThe staffing of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise is kept under regular review and the unions' views are one of the elements to be taken into account in assessing the Department's manpower requirements for the years ahead.