HC Deb 26 November 1987 vol 123 c302W
Sir Barney Hayhoe

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate what the cost would be of ensuring that(a) 80 per cent., (b) 90 per cent., (c) 95 per cent, and (d) 98 per cent, of the records for individuals held on the Inland Revenue computer included the correct address of the individual concerned.

Mr. Lawson

I regret that the information on which to base a reliable estimate is not available.

Sir Barney Hayhoe

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many individuals computer-based data are held by the Inland Revenue; and if he will estimate for what proportion of these addresses are(a) not recorded or (b) recorded inaccurately.

Mr. Lawson

The Inland Revenue holds computer-based information for about 30 million individuals, and has home addresses for almost all of these.

There is no means of giving a reliable estimate of how many home addresses are inaccurate, since there are many taxpayers to whom the Revenue does not need to write at their home address from one year to the next.