The charge was levelled by Tory shadow chief secretary Teresa Villiers, who complained about the way the Treasury cracked down on film industry tax avoidance which, she said, meant Pinewood Studios, Bond’s traditional home since Dr No, lost out to Barrandov Studios.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the marketing campaign of Casino Royale in Cannes, she told a Commons Committee debating the finance bill, that the result was a collapse in Pinewood’s profits from £6.5m to just £571,000.

Ed Balls, the chancellor's new economic secretary, said that in 2004 there were 133 productions in the UK. This fell 'marginally' to 124, but numbers this year would show the continuing engagement of the British film industry in production.