5 MARCH 2005, Page 21

Forbidden to pay taxes?

From Paul Magrath

Sir: Can Bill Woodhouse (Letters, 19 February) tell me exactly which laws forbid us paying public money to organisations that do not keep proper accounts and that condone fraud? In particular, if they prevent the UK government making payments to Brussels, do they also forbid me paying taxes to fund UK government departments whose books the Audit Commission has repeatedly declined to sign off? I seem to have read somewhere that the Department for Work and Pensions has fallen into this category for three years running.

Paul Magrath London N5