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Computer Systems
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the savings to date which the Inland Revenue has made from out-sourcing arrangements with the SHL software computer system, compared with the use of in-house services; and if he will make a statement. [29529]
Mr. Jack: The Inland Revenue does not have an out-sourcing arrangement with the SHL software computer system.
16 May 1996 : Column: 567
Post Office
Mr. Khabra: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the chairman of the Post Office to discuss the Post Office's external financing limit. [28755]
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: I have not met the chairman of the Post Office to discuss the Post Office's external financing limit.
Customs and Excise Risk Information System
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Customs and Excise risk information system. [29516]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 15 May 1996]: Customs tells me that this is an integrated risk information system that would eventually assess risk across the whole of a trader's activities in relation to those duties and taxes for which Customs is responsible. It has conducted a feasibility study and is working on the first stage of building a simple prototype that brings together existing risk information to inform better the targeting of local assurance activity.
Value Added Tax
Ms Primarolo: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the impact on VAT revenues of the recent reductions in (a) value added tax staff in his Department and (b) the number of assurance visits made by value added tax staff; [29517]
- (2) if he will estimate the percentage reduction which will take place in the number of standard VAT inspections, following staff reductions in Customs and Excise resulting from the fundamental expenditure review. [29522]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answers 15 May 1996]: Customs and Excise aims to improve its effectiveness by replacing some VAT visits with alternative means of gaining assurance and targeting the remaining visits better in relation to risks. This will enable it to reduce staffing levels while maintaining or improving outputs. The precise reduction in visiting which can be achieved will depend on the outcome of trials, which are currently taking place and will be evaluated during the coming year.
We do not expect the changes made this year to affect VAT revenues.
Ms Primarolo:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the latest available figures for (a) under-declarations and (b) over-declarations of tax detected by value added tax assurance officers. [29518]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
[holding answer 15 May 1996]: The latest available full-year figures are for 1994-95 and total (a) £3,286 million in under-declarations and (b) £1,146 million in over-declarations identified by officers.
16 May 1996 : Column: 568
Ms Primarolo:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the additional revenue collected annually as a result of assurance visits by VAT officers. [29523]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
[holding answer 15 May 1996]: The additional revenue identified by officers in 1994-95 was £2,140 million.
Ms Primarolo:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it a charter commitment for a VAT officer to visit all newly registered businesses within three years of registration. [29524]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
[holding answer 15 May 1996]: Customs has recently published a revised charter standard, which includes a commitment to offer to every newly registering business a choice of options to learn about how VAT works.
This provides timely advice, tailored to business needs, and replaces the commitment to visit within three years.
Ms Primarolo:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the annual amount of VAT evaded or undeclared; and if he will make a statement. [29525]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
[holding answer 15 May 1996]: In an average year, HM Customs and Excise investigates about 1,100 cases for fraudulent evasion of VAT, involving total arrears of approximately £60 million. About 1,502 are dealt with through criminal procedures, and about 950 are dealt with using the civil investigation route. Financial penalties of approximately £8 million per annum are applied. About 100 custodial years per annum are imposed by the courts.
It is not possible to quantify the level of fraud that goes undetected, but by its nature the detection of a fraud prevents further evasion. We estimate the total annual amount of evasion prevented as a result of the investigation effort to be in the region of £200 million, including arrears.
In addition, about £2.5 billion of net under declarations is identified, mainly through risk-based auditing of businesses' accounts.
Ms Primarolo:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much VAT has been reclaimed by people leaving the country who have bought goods in the UK, in each of the last five years. [29526]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
[holding answer 15 May 1996]: No records are maintained of tax-free sales to entitled persons. Doing so would have resource implications for Customs and Excise and would impose an unacceptable burden on retailers who would be required to keep additional records and submit returns.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax offices (a) have been closed in 1995-96 and (b) will be closed in 1996-97; if he will list such offices; and if he will make a statement. [29663]
Mr. Jack:
The Inland Revenue is engaged in a programme to reorganise the structure of all local tax and collection offices to ensure that the right operational framework is in place to deliver its future business objectives.
16 May 1996 : Column: 569
Seventy-three tax offices and 22 collection offices were reorganised and merged in 1995-96 to form 38 new-style offices. Most of the mergers involve offices in London or the same provincial city or town. Outside those locations te tax offices in Guildford, Havant, Rotherham and Poole were closed during 1995-96 and merged with new-style offices created in a nearby city or town.
On the basis of the present approved programme, 67 tax offices and 17 collection offices will be reorganised and merged in 1996-97 to form a further 38 new-style offices. The programme includes closure of the tax offices in Bexhill, Bexleyheath, Bognor Regis, Dartford, Ely, Greenwich, Neath and Solihull during 1996-97.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Attorney-General at what date the Crown Prosecution Service learnt of the verdicts of unlawful killing in respect of (a) Richard O'Brien and (b) Shiji Lapite; and when in each case the Crown Prosecution Service expects to reach a decision whether to prosecute. [28717]
The Attorney-General:
Evidence gathered during the police investigation into the death of Richard O'Brien was reviewed by the Crown Prosecution Service. On 30 January 1995, it was concluded that there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence of homicide. The Crown Prosecution Service learnt of the verdict of unlawful killing in respect of Richard O'Brien on 10 November 1995. The Crown Prosecution Service has requested transcripts of the evidence given at the inquest and some of the material was received on 4 and 22 April 1996. Once the transcripts have been received they will be carefully considered together with the evidence available prior to the inquest and, subject to any further enquiries that may prove necessary, the Crown Prosecution Service will then decide whether or not the evidence is now sufficient to justify proceedings.
On 18 July 1995, the Crown Prosecution Service advised the police that the then available evidence was insufficient to provide a realistic prospect of conviction of any person for homicide arising from the death of Shiji Lapite. The Crown Prosecution Service learnt of the verdict of unlawful killing in respect of Mr. Shiji Lapite on 26 January 1996. All the transcripts of evidence and copies of documents produced to the inquest jury were received by 18 March 1996. This material is being considered together with the evidence available prior to the inquest and once this has been done the Crown Prosecution Service will decide whether or not the evidence is now sufficient to justify proceedings.
Mr. Galbraith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which (a) individuals and (b) organisations representing (i) doctors and (ii) nurses have been consulted in the acute bed strategy review. [28166]
16 May 1996 : Column: 570
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton:
As part of the review, the views of all health boards and NHS trusts in Scotland were invited. In addition, it was made clear that comments would be welcomed from any other individuals or organisations who wished to offer views.
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