BELEAGUERED HMRC MISSING MILLIONS OF CALLS

BELEAGUERED HMRC MISSING MILLIONS OF CALLS

SNP QUESTION SENSE OF JOB CUTS AS SERVICE STRUGGLES TO COPE

The SNP have seized on revelations that HM Revenue and Customs failed to answer as many as 44 million phone calls last year – 43% of the 103 million calls received - despite employing the equivalent of 10,500 full-time staff at a cost of £233m.

The National Audit Office said the performance of 31 customer "contact centres" during 2008/09 was "unacceptable".

The revelations come in the same week as the Treasury announced plans to close 130 HMRC offices with the loss of up to 1,700 jobs.

SNP Westminster Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie MP said:

“These are shocking failures by HMRC which make the staff cuts and office closures announced earlier this week all the more disgraceful.

“If HMRC are already struggling to cope, then what kind of impact will the closure of 130 offices and loss of 1,700 staff have on already beleaguered services. For the Treasury to push ahead with these job losses is utter madness, and the public and businesses will suffer.

“If anything it seems HMRC should be increasing their staff and services to cope with their workload. We are in the teeth of recession, and it is no time for the Labour Government to be adding to the dole queue.

“As well as being a bitter blow to the HMRC workforce, these cuts will hit businesses and the public just when they need accessible and well-resourced services most.

“UK Ministers must get a grip with HMRC and think again over these outrageous and ill-timed job losses.”