§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received concerning the possibility of allowing tax relief against VAT-receipted invoices for domestic maintenance and extension work.
§ Mr. DorrellWe have received no recent representations on this subject, although the idea has occasionally been put forward in the past. The Government's policy is to widen the tax base by reducing rather than extending reliefs. This has enabled us to reduce income tax rates for all taxpayers.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Romford (Sir M. Neubert) of 4 February,Official Report, column 299, if he will now make it his policy to estimate the extent of the black market in the construction industry and the annual cost to the Exchequer of lost revenue through tax evasion in that industry.
§ Mr. DorrellNo. It is not possible to make an accurate estimate of the revenue effects of tax evasion.