VAT: Evasion

Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton Excerpts

Monday 21st December 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Ashton of Hyde]

My Lords, that is some way from the subject of VAT evasion. I am not aware that the Chancellor has considered a packaging tax; if he has, he has not informed me.

[Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton (Lab)]

My Lords, in answer to my noble friend Lord Davies, the Minister referred to efficiency savings. When the current level of efficiency is improved, how long will people have to wait for telephone calls to be answered, or will they have to wait longer?

[Lord Ashton of Hyde]

Obviously the idea is that they will not have to wait longer. I think everyone at HMRC has acknowledged that the service provided to individual taxpayers was substandard. That is why it recruited more people and has more people in training. HMRC expects that the service will be improved, as do we all.