§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of Inland Revenue offices in Wakefield.
§ Mr. DorrellLike the rest of the civil service the Inland Revenue has a strong commitment to achieving further significant improvements in service to the public, in operational effectiveness and in cost efficiency. To achieve these objectives the Revenue has embarked on a major programme of change. The first part of the programme is already under way and involves restructuring the Inland Revenue's local office network.
The controller of the South Yorkshire regional executive office is considering moving work from the tax office in Wakefield to a restructured office in Barnsley. The proposal is currently being evaluated to ensure that it is cost efficient and provides a good quality service to the public.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff are employed by the Inland Revenue in Wakefield.
§ Mr. DorrellThere are 72 staff employed by the Inland Revenue in Wakefield.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has of the costs which would be incurred in transferring Inland Revenue offices out of Wakefield;
(2) if he will make a statement on the future standard of services available for persons in Wakefield provided by the Inland Revenue.
§ Mr. DorrellFurther detailed work is required before a decision can be made on this proposal, but preliminary estimates suggest that it offers considerable financial savings as well as the opportunity to offer a better quality service to the taxpayer.