HC Deb 19 July 1988 vol 137 cc528-9W
Mr. Wigley

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long replies to Inland Revenue queries made in Welsh take to process in relation to the equivalent requests in English.

Mr. Norman Lamont

The times are normally the same for inquiries—whether in Welsh or English—made to Inland Revenue offices in Wales. Inquiries in Welsh to offices outside Wales may take longer to deal with than those made in English as it will normally be necessary to obtain translations.

Mr. Wigley

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that every letter sent by a person in Wales to the Inland Revenue which is written in Welsh will have a reply in the Welsh language.

Mr. Norman Lamont

The Inland Revenue's practice is that inquiries written in Welsh to its tax and collection offices in Wales will receive a reply in that language. Where inquiries in Welsh are made to offices elsewhere in the United Kingdom, it would be the practice to try to provide a reply in Welsh.