Tax bodies honoured

Companies House led a string of tax and revenue bodies picking upice awards. Charter Marks this week in the government’s annual public-service awards.

Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise offices were also well represented alongside local authority tax and benefit departments, as a record-breaking 508 public-service gongs were awarded.

It is the third Charter Mark Companies House has won for its services. It learned that it is one of only 18 organisations to retain its Charter Mark for the third time in the same week that its new London record offices in Bloomsbury also opened.

‘We have cut document processing by a day from five days to four in the last three years and we have reduced unit costs by 15%, while over the period the workload has gone up by 10%,’ said Paul Harrington, publication editor at the Cardiff headquarters of Companies House.

‘We have also greatly expanded the range of electronic products we offer.’

More company services are now available on CD-ROM and online, with plans to expand this side of the business as demand for microfiches falls away.

Sixteen council revenue and benefits offices – including ones in St Helens, East Cambridgeshire, Rushcliffe, Daventry and Mansfield – were among 178 local government winners. The London borough of Wandsworth’s business rates services and Wycombe district council’s local taxation section also won.

The trade and industry department’s Insolvency Service and the NHS Pensions Agency picked up awards. Three Customs & Excise winners included the Newry VAT Registration Unit.

Ten Inland Revenue offices were recognised. The Bolton and Bootle Merseyview tax offices were among the Revenue winners, as well as its Financial Intermediaries and Claims Office audit unit and the Valuation Office Agency.

‘The Charter Mark is the public-service gold standard, rewarding innovation and the very best in customer care,’ said public service minister Peter Kilfoyle. ‘Research shows Charter Mark helps improve services, by listening and responding to users.’