§ Mr. CotterTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received concerning the construction industry scheme. [74133]
§ Dawn PrimaroloThe Inland Revenue has consulted widely and at length with the construction industry and other representative bodies, including the construction industry unions and the Federation of Small Businesses. Broadly the representatives welcome the new scheme, which is designed to reduce the level of tax evasion in the construction industry. Naturally, concerns have been raised by those subcontractors who may not qualify for gross payment certificates under the new rules. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Jones) on 26 January 1999,Official Report, column 223, explaining the steps we have taken to address these concerns.