HL Deb 25 October 2000 vol 618 c49WA
Lord Pearson of Rannoch

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the state of play of tax harmonisation in the European Union; and what is their attitude to it. [HL4253]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

The Government's approach to EU tax issues is based on fair tax competition, not tax harmonisation. At the recent Feira European Council in June, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor persuaded the EU to accept exchange of information rather than a withholding tax on cross-border savings income as the way forward. This illustrated the success of the Government's policy of constructive engagement on EU issues.