Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that contracts for core business functions are not entered into with companies who seek to minimise the rate of tax paid on their activity in the UK; and what assessment they have made of whether the use of any such contracts will create a conflict of interest within HMRC when it comes to enforcement of anti-avoidance legislation.

The 2015 Public Contract Regulations introduced a new obligation for public bodies to exclude suppliers from a procurement where the supplier has been found guilty of breaching its obligations in relation to payment of taxes, and this has been established by a judicial or administrative decision having final effect within the relevant jurisdiction. This includes where HMRC have successfully challenged a potential supplier under anti-avoidance legislation.