Chancellor tightens grip on tax policy
Chancellor Gordon Brown has tightened his grip on tax policy in the wake of the merger of the Inland Revenue and Customs & Excise.
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Paymaster general Dawn Primarolo issued a Commons statementÿtoday confirming that ‘HM Treasury has assumed responsibility for policy development’ but is ‘working very closely’ with the Revenue and Customs in line with the recommendations of the report by permanent secretary Gus O’Donnell.
A spokeswomanÿdenied the move represented Brown strengthening his position in the tussle with prime minister Tony Blair over future fiscal policy and confirmed most of those responsible for tax policy development in the two merged departments had transferred to the Treasury and areÿcontinuing with the same responsibilities inÿWhitehall.
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