HC Deb 15 February 1990 vol 167 c334W
23. Mr. Trotter

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to transfer offices of the Inland Revenue and the Customs and Excise from London and the south-east to the northern region.

Mr. Lilley

The Inland Revenue plans to open new offices in Sunderland and Middlesbrough, taking in total 420 posts from London.

Mr. Stern

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to merge the offices of collectors and inspectors of taxes.

Mr. Lilley

As reported in the Inland Revenue management plan for the next three years, published today, it has been decided that the time is now ripe to consider whether greater operational efficiency and improved service to taxpayers could be obtained by bringing together the work of local collectors and inspectors of taxes. With Ministers' approval, the board is studying all the implications, and planning experiments both to test the concepts involved and to establish the likely benefits to the Department and to taxpayers. Details of these experiments will be announced when this preliminary work is further advanced.