§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new offices were built to accommodate staff handling the work flowing from the changes introduced in 1990 in relation to independent taxation for married women and the associated changes relating to bank and building society interest; where these new offices are located; what the cost of these offices was; and how many of these offices have subsequently been closed.
§ Mr. Dorrell[holding answer 30 November 1992]: Twenty-four Inland Revenue offices were set up to deal with the very substantial growth in claims for tax repayments that was expected to follow the introduction of independent taxation in 1990 and the abolition of composite rate tax on bank and building society interest in 1991. These offices are located in Barnsley; Barnstaple; Belfast (two offices); Birkenhead; Bolton; Bootle; Dundee; Falkirk; Glenrothes; Great Yarmouth; Hull; Leicester; Manchester; Middlesbrough; Nottingham (two offices); Plymouth; St. Austell; Southampton; Sunderland; Swansea; Telford; and Wrexham.
Eleven of the buildings that house these offices were purchased, for a total cost of some £55 million, with the remainder being rented. Nineteen offices are to be closed, because tax repayment claims have not been received on the scale we expected. In all but four cases, the Inland Revenue is to re-use the buildings for other work.