The Treasury Select Committee has announced an inquiry into tax havens.

The committee of MPs has said it wants to look at 'offshore financial centres'

Among the issues it says it wants to look at are whether the centres 'threaten financial stability'; their transparency for UK tax purposes and their impact on the UK tax take among other things.

The investigation will be enthusiastically welcomed by tax campaigners who maintain the havens are a threat to democracies.

The committee is calling for written evidence, which should reach it no later than 19 June.