HC Deb 13 November 1997 vol 300 cc627-9W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the expenditure by(a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, on (i) tax consultants and (ii) other external tax advice in (1) 1995–96, (2) 1996–97 and (3) 1997–98; and if she will make a statement.[13263]

Mrs. Roche

[holding answer 5 November 1997]: Expenditure on external tax advice is undertaken in accordance with Treasury guidance. Information relating to expenditure on specific external advice is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Chief Executives of the Department's Executive Agencies have been asked to respond separately.

Letter from Seton Bennett to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 13 November 1997: The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory to your question about expenditure on tax consultants and other external tax advice. This Agency has not made any use of such consultants during the years in question and our expenditure has therefore been nil.

Letter from Ian Jones to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 13 November 1997: You tabled a Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade, for named day reply on 5 November, about expenditure by her Department, its agencies and non departmental bodies on tax consultants and other external tax advice. I have been asked to reply in respect of the Employment Tribunals Service. The Employment Tribunals Service has not incurred any expenditure in either of the areas you asked about.

Letter from P. R. S. Hartnack to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 13 November 1997: I am replying for the Patent Office to your Parliamentary Question to the President of the Board of Trade about the cost of tax consultants and external tax advice. The Patent Office has made no payments in this respect in 1995/96, 1996/97 and 1997/98 to date. No such transactions are expected in the remainder of 1997/98.

Letter from Peter Joyce to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 13 November 1997: The President of the Board of Trade has asked me to reply to your question about expenditure by The Insolvency Service on tax consultants and other external advice in 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98. Its expenditure has been as follows:

1995–96 1996–97 1997–98
Tax Consultants Nil Nil Nil
External tax advice Nil £800 Nil

Letter from John Holden to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 13 November 1997: I have been asked to reply to your question to the President of the Board of Trade concerning i) tax consultants and ii) tax advice and comment as follows: (i) Companies House has expended the following amounts on tax consultants:

  • 1995–96: £282
  • 1996–97: £141
  • 1997–98: Nil
ii) No other external tax advice has been engaged.

Letter from Jim Norton to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 13 November 1997: Mrs. Roche, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Small Firms, Trade and Industry, has asked me to reply on behalf of the Radiocommunications Agency to your Question about Agency expenditure on tax consultants and other external tax advice. The Agency has been advised on PAYE matters by Fraser Russell during the relevant period and the actual and estimated expenditure details are as follows:

  1. (1) 1995–96: £3,150.00
  2. (2) 1996–97: £2,800.00
  3. (3) 1997–98: £2,852.00 (estimated).
All figures exclude VAT, which is recoverable by the Agency.