Local MP Lembit Öpik calls for proof of HMRC closure savings

11.25.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 29th Jan 2008

Lembit Öpik - Lib Dem MP for Montgomeryshire - has called on the Government to prove the extent of savings they predict will be achieved by the downscaling of HMRC services in the Welshpool area.

Lembit said: "I spoke with officials from HMRC and also the staff when I went to visit the Tax Office in Welshpool with my colleague Mick Bates AM. Mick and I have become extremely concerned at the absence of data in regard to the claimed efficiency benefits which reducing the workforce in Welshpool is meant to achieve.

"Firstly, there has been absolutely no effort to share the costs of the office, nor the savings expected if the office is downsized or closed. Second, the staff have not seen evidence of any barrier to their ability to do high level "strategic" work from this location as a satellite of the larger centres such as Wrexham. Thirdly, apparently no account whatsoever has been taken of the environmental impact of expecting staff to travel to Wrexham instead of making the short journey into Welshpool.

"We don't even know if any consideration has been made of the possibility that more people will intentionally try and skip tax payments they are obliged to make, hoping that the reduced staffing will mean the HMRC is under-resourced to do its job.

"What we need is more clarity on the calculations behind the HMRC plan to downsize. I've therefore submitted a number of Parliamentary Questions to establish the facts behind the scaling down strategy. It's got to be the starting point for a rational debate - one which, I hope, will give staff more assurance regarding their future than they at present enjoy."