Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood has attacked the Con/Dem Coalition Government after question marks were raised over the future of seven HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) sites in Wales.
A leaked document mentions Cardiff as the only office in Wales guaranteed to remain open until 2020. Around 1,200 staff are employed at the seven other offices which includes Porthmadog where the HMRC’s Welsh language inquiry centre is based.
South Wales Central AM Ms Wood, who chairs the cross-party Public and Commercial Services union group in the Assembly, said:
“Once again the Westminster coalition Government is singling out Wales for the lion’s share of the cuts. If the UK Government is serious about reducing the deficit, they would not be making cuts in the HMRC. Reducing staffing levels or provision makes no sense whatsoever as figures have shown that each tax inspector is worth, on average, £600,000 in terms of additional tax collected.
“The Tories are known for being close to the non-doms and the mega-rich; is this what is driving this nonsensical policy?
“Revenue collection is something that should be strengthened not weakened, in a time of austerity. It has been estimated by the PCS that more than £100 billion is lost to tax avoidance or evasion every single year in the UK.
“If more tax inspectors were employed, some of this money could be clawed back and go towards improving the NHS, school facilities or maybe even ensuring public sector workers are paid a decent pension upon retirement.
“If our worst fears are confirmed for the HMRC offices in Wales then the Welsh Government has to do whatever it can to fight this unfair treatment. We need to see the First Minister come through on his promise to protect the people of Wales against the Tory cuts.”
Ms Wood added:
“This leaked paper raises some serious questions about the future of Welsh-language provision in the HMRC. It is difficult enough as it is for Welsh speakers to access services in their mother tongue.
“Any weakening of this already limited provision will be strongly opposed.”
