Tories make Lords' tax move
Tory peers will today begin attempts to give the House of Lords a beefed-up role in examining current tax arrangements.
They aim to make the tax system more transparent and easier to understand through scrutiny by the upper house.
Lord Saatchi, Conservative Treasury spokesman, will today introduce a private members bill into the Lords that seeks to amend the 1911 Parliamentary Act, which excludes peers from taking any role in the scrutiny of money bills.
The Tories argue peers should be involved because the current system has become increasingly complex. They say the number of basic tax rates has increased from 15 to 38 under the present government.
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