HC Deb 19 April 2000 vol 348 c586W
Mr. Ottaway

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what safeguards the Inland Revenue has in place to ensure that employers' annual packs are delivered before the start of a new tax year. [119339]

Dawn Primarolo

The Inland Revenue includes in the mailing a number of seed packs addressed to its own staff to ensure the completion of the pack and the Royal Mail delivery times.

Royal Mail has its own quality assurance procedures. In addition, the two mailing contractors have strict quality assurance measures in place and the Inland Revenue sends in some of its own staff to check on the assembly and packing of the Annual Packs.

Mr. Ottaway

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of employers' annual packs due to be sent out by the Inland Revenue for the new tax year had been dispatched by 4 April; and if he will make a statement on how the dispatch has been organised. [119341]

Dawn Primarolo

We understand there is a small problem in the order of 1 per cent. in the despatch of Employers' Annual Packs by 4 April 2000.

The Inland Revenue's IT partner—EDS—supplied Dataforce Group, Northampton, with name, address and reference details of some 1.2 million employers to whom an Annual Pack was to be issued. Dataforce Group personalised address carriers for each employer and enclosed 50 per cent. of these together with the other contents of Annual Packs, the other 50 per cent. being handled by Scotmail Ltd. of Glasgow. The Annual Packs were despatched by second class post. The Inland Revenue has three year contracts with both Dataforce Group and Scotmail, which have at least a further two years to run. These contracts were let in 1999 through the normal contract letting process, overseen by the Inland Revenue Contractors and Procurement Unit.

The Inland Revenue has outsourced the assembly and despatch of its Annual Packs since 1993.

The management and control of the contracts with Dataforce Group, Scotmail and Royal Mail in respect of employer packs, were handled by Inland Revenue, Business and Management Services Division in Shipley, West Yorkshire.

Mr. Ottaway

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the delivery of Inland Revenue employers' annual packs in 2000 to date; and if he will make a statement. [119340]

Dawn Primarolo

Treasury Ministers receive representations on a wide range of subjects.