A week ago I wrote the following about the National Audit Office (NAO) report into "HMRC's Sweetheart Deals":
"My thanks therefore to a loyal reader who has pointed out the reason for the absence of the NAO report, it appears that the deadline has been quietly shifted back (without any announcement) to at least Summer this year.I emailed the NAO, and received this response from the Head of Media:
"The C&AG aims to report the results of this work to the Public Accounts Committee in summer 2012."By the way "aims to report" is not a very firm "deadline!
Is this "slippage" because the investigation is taking so long, or is it because they don't want the report issued before Hartnett officially leaves in summer?
Oh and by the way, they are only looking at five deals, not 10 originally discussed in 2011; so it's probably not the workload that has caused this "slippage".
I will ask NAO why they have delayed this, and will post their answer if I get one ."
"There was no deadline for this report. The information on our website on approximate timing, for guidance only, was posted at the beginning of our study when we could not know exactly how long it would take. Such guidance is commonly changed as studies progress. The date on which a report is to be published is decided by the Comptroller and Auditor General and for this report has yet to be announced."I responded thusly:
"Thanks ****He then called me, and advised that the report will probably be issued at the beginning of June and that PAC are aware of this.
Steve Barclay (a member of PAC) was under the impression that is was Spring as well (as per his website http://stevebarclay.net/?p=2260)
For clarity, now that your site says "Summer" this is not the deadline either?
http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/work_in_progress/larger_tax_settlements.aspx
As an ex auditor myself (KPMG, Philips, De Beers) I am rather surprised that you have yet to decide a deadline.
Thanks
Kind regards
Ken Frost"
Tax does have to be taxing.
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nice job, Ken. keep at it. surprisingly the regular hacks seem to have lost interest when there are explosives issues of not just what exactly happened on the Goldman Sachs and Vodafone deals but also the identity of the other three companies whose sweet hartnett deals are under are under investigation to uncover. perhaps your nice friend at the NAO will allow you a peek into the report?
ReplyDeletewell, well, well; haven't the PAC lined up a nice valedictory session for Jack, or is this session to further humlilate him on the dodgy deals?
ReplyDeletehttp://services.parliament.uk/calendar/#!/calendar/Commons/SelectCommittee/2012/6/27/events.html
3.15pm
Public Accounts
Subject: Tax Disputes/New governance package
Witness(es): Lin Homer, Chief Executive and Permanent Secretary, Dave Hartnett, Permanent Secretary for Tax, HMRC
Location: Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster
that's for Wednesday 27 June 2012 by the way. so the PAC should have received the long-awaited report by early June as the NAO spokesman indicated. unless of course Morse changes his mind again.
Delete......or his mind is changed for him.
ReplyDeleteStill expecting a dumbing down/ cover up on the true facts this enquiry was set up to uncover, too many people in high places going to be affected by this. Anyhoo Hartnett won't be too bothered , nice fat payoff and plenty of work lined up for him from his business buddies.
true. Osborne is neck deep in the Vodafone scandal. that's probably why the report is being delayed to see if the PAC can be pacified. with Hodge and Bacon at the helm, i can't see that happening.
ReplyDelete