Earl Fortescueasked Her Majesty's Government:
How much inheritance tax was avoided in the years 1987–88 and 1988–89 by means of instruments of variation.
§ The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Lord Young of Graffham)Information is not available on which to base an estimate of the total amount avoided. In the limited class of cases where property is redirected by instrument of variation to a surviving spouse the amount avoided is estimated to have been:
£ million 1987–88 15 to 20 1988–89 20 to 25