Welsh Affairs

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. That action is certainly being taken by my local authority and by Cardiff. The Assembly Government summits have looked at procurement, which is important. The closure of the tax office in Aberystwyth has been frustrating in the extreme, not least given the economic climate in which we are operating. It is frustrating given that on the basis of a saving of £83,000, the Aberystwyth tax office is to go, despite the fact that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs spent £50 million on consultants last year. The Financial Secretary asserted to me that the closure"““will not have an adverse effect on the services to small businesses.””" My goodness, if ever there was a need for services to small businesses, it is now. He said:"““Most of HMRC's businesses can operate without the need for a local presence.””" I know that is the experience of other Members across mid and west Wales. The Financial Secretary asserted that"““the Department's customers are increasingly using the internet as a preferred way of doing business and obtaining information. Where face to face services are provided these will be maintained at a level geared to meet local demand.””" According to the soon to be former HMRC employees in my constituency, that means pointing clients to a telephone linked to a call centre elsewhere.