asked the Minister for Finance the total amount of income tax received from (a) PAYE employees, (b) farmers and (c) Schedule D persons in each of the years 1977-78 and 1978-79 and the provisional estimate for 1979-80.

The information requested is as follows:

An estimate of the yield of income tax for the tax year 1979-80 has not been made as the basic data required for such an estimate have not yet been accumulated.

Would the Minister have information about the total income in each of the categories referred to?

I do not have that here.

Could the Minister indicate the reason for the decline of nearly 20 per cent in the receipts in the "Other" category combined with the increase of about 15 per cent in the PAYE category?

This is accounted for by the fact that those figures include income tax paid by companies in respect of accounting periods prior to the introduction of corporation tax on 6 April 1976. This spillover would have had a greater effect in 1977-78 than in 1978-79 but separate figures of the amount of income tax so paid by companies are not available. Basically, it is a spillover effect that will ultimately iron itself out.

Does the Minister say that accounts for the full amount of the £7.5 million difference?

I am assured that it accounts for more than that.

Why is there delay in the provision of the provisional estimate for 1979-80? Surely we have the budget estimates. In particular is there any estimate available for schedule D? Is there a further drop in schedule D for 1979-80?

Basically it was due to the postal strike. There will be a very substantial shortfall this year in various items of revenue including some shortfall in schedule D receipts. We would hope to make up the great bulk of the shortfall next year but inevitably there will be a shortfall this year that cannot be avoided.

Is the Minister referring in that context to 5 April 1980, the 1979-80 period?

No. In that context I am referring to the calendar year, the budgetary year.