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Spending on Loan Charge Lobbying
Source: WhatDoTheyKnow
Authority: HM Revenue and Customs
Status: HM Revenue and Customs
did not have
the information requested.
Imported path: /opt/loancharge/imports/wdtk/requests/spending_on_loan_charge_lobbying
Open original request on WhatDoTheyKnow
Imported text
SOURCE: WhatDoTheyKnow
SOURCE_URL: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/spending_on_loan_charge_lobbying
TITLE: Spending on Loan Charge Lobbying
AUTHORITY: HM Revenue and Customs
AUTHORITY_URL: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/hmrc
STATUS: HM Revenue and Customs
did not have
the information requested.
REQUEST_SLUG: spending_on_loan_charge_lobbying
CAPTURED_AT: 2026-05-19T07:08:07+00:00
PROVENANCE: {"first_seen_at": "2026-05-18T12:53:06", "first_seen_page": "7", "first_query_term": "\"Loan Charge\"", "first_date_after": "2019/01/01", "first_date_before": "2020/01/01", "matched_query_terms": "\"Loan Charge\"", "matched_date_ranges": "2019/01/01 to 2020/01/01", "first_search_url_template": "https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/search/%22Loan%20Charge%22/requests?commit=Filter&query=%22Loan+Charge%22&request_date_after=2019%2F01%2F01&request_date_before=2020%2F01%2F01&request_variety%5B%5D=sent&request_variety%5B%5D=response&request_variety%5B%5D=comment&sortby=&utf8=%E2%9C%93&page="}
ATTACHMENTS:
- FOI2019_00229_final.pdf | https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/spending_on_loan_charge_lobbying/response/1315451/attach/2/FOI2019%2000229%20final.pdf?cookie_passthrough=1 | application/pdf | 147784 bytes
- [not downloaded] | https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/spending_on_loan_charge_lobbying/response/1315451/attach/html/2/FOI2019%2000229%20final.pdf.html | | 0 bytes
- Brian_Millward.pdf | https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/spending_on_loan_charge_lobbying/response/1341851/attach/2/Brian%20Millward.pdf?cookie_passthrough=1 | application/pdf | 159690 bytes
- [not downloaded] | https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/spending_on_loan_charge_lobbying/response/1341851/attach/html/2/Brian%20Millward.pdf.html | | 0 bytes
================================================================================
MESSAGE 1 [outgoing]
HEADER: Brian Millard
25 January 2019
Delivered
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear HM Revenue and Customs,
Please can you provide cost breakdown of how much public money was spent by Jon Thompson on lobbying MP's who signed EDM1239.
Yours faithfully,
Brian Millard
================================================================================
MESSAGE 2 [incoming]
HEADER: foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team,
HM Revenue and Customs
25 January 2019
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our ref: FOI2019/00229
Dear Mr Millard,
Freedom of Information Act 2000 Acknowledgement
Thank you for your communication of 25th January which has been passed to
HMRC's Freedom of Information Team.
We have allocated the above reference which you should quote if you need
to contact us.
The Team will arrange for a reply to be sent to you which will either
comply with HMRC's obligations under Freedom of Information Act or, if we
think it's an enquiry that we don't need to address under the terms of the
Act, let you know why. If it is the latter we will, if possible, pass it
on to a more appropriate part of the Department for answer.
Yours sincerely
HMRC Freedom of Information Act Team
================================================================================
MESSAGE 3 [incoming]
HEADER: foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team,
HM Revenue and Customs
21 February 2019
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Attachment
FOI2019 00229 final.pdf
144K
View
Download
Dear Mr Millard,
I am writing in response to your request for information, received 25
January 2019.
Yours sincerely,
HMRC Freedom of Information Team
================================================================================
MESSAGE 4 [outgoing]
HEADER: Brian Millard
4 March 2019
Delivered
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear [
email address
] on behalf of FOI Central Team,
This answer is meaningless. Whilst the email may have been written "in-house" Sir Jon Thompson is a very high up, and extremely well paid official of HMRC. Any time he spends at work creating emails then sending to over 100 MP's is paid for from taxes.
Please can a rough time estimate be made of the time to create the email, and then send to over 100 MP's be made then a simple calculation of that figure divided by how much Sir Jon is paid per hour be made.
It's a simple request?
Yours sincerely,
Brian Millard
================================================================================
MESSAGE 5 [incoming]
HEADER: foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team,
HM Revenue and Customs
4 March 2019
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our ref: IR2019/00579
Dear Mr Millard,
Freedom of Information Act 2000 Acknowledgement
Thank you for your communication of 4th March which has been passed to
HMRC's Freedom of Information Team.
We have allocated the above reference which you should quote if you need
to contact us.
The Team will arrange for a reply to be sent to you which will either
comply with HMRC's obligations under Freedom of Information Act or, if we
think it's an enquiry that we don't need to address under the terms of the
Act, let you know why. If it is the latter we will, if possible, pass it
on to a more appropriate part of the Department for answer.
Yours sincerely
HMRC Freedom of Information Act Team
================================================================================
MESSAGE 6 [incoming]
HEADER: foi.team@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk on behalf of FOI Central Team,
HM Revenue and Customs
4 April 2019
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Attachment
Brian Millward.pdf
155K
View
Download
Dear Mr Millard
I am writing in response to your request for an internal review, received
4 March 2019.
Yours sincerely,
HMRC Freedom of Information Team
================================================================================
ATTACHMENT TEXT EXTRACTION / OCR
================================================================================
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ATTACHMENT: Brian_Millward.pdf
TEXT_FILE: Brian_Millward.pdf.txt
METHOD: pdf_native
OCR_USED: False
PAGES: 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- PDF page 1 ---
Information is available in large print, audio and Braille formats.
Text Relay service prefix number – 18001
Counter-Avoidance
Freedom of Information Team
6 Floor
Central Mail Unit
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE98 1ZZ
Mr Brian Millard
By email: request-547226-
87427996@whatdotheyknow.com
Email
foi.request@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
Web
www.gov.uk
Date: 4 April 2019
Our ref:
IR2019/00579
Dear Mr Millard
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)
Thank you for your letter of 4 March 2019 asking HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to
carry out an internal review to your request for information under the FOIA.
Original Request
On 25 January 2019, we received your request for the following information:
“Please can you provide cost breakdown of how much public money was spent by Jon
Thompson on lobbying MP's who signed EDM1239.”
Initial Response
We responded to your request on 21 February 2019 advising that “following a review of our
records, I have established that HMRC does not hold the information you requested as
HMRC do not lobby MPs.
Last year, Sir Jon Thompson wrote to all MPs who signed EDM 1239 to explain the
background to the charge on disguised remuneration loans. The letter was produced in-
house”
Request for Internal Review
You have asked for a review of our decision dated 21 February 2019 with regard to:
“This answer is meaningless. Whilst the email may have been written "in-house" Sir Jon
Thompson is a very high up, and extremely well paid official of HMRC. Any time he spends
at work creating emails then sending to over 100 MP's is paid for from taxes.
Please can a rough time estimate be made of the time to create the email, and then send to
over 100 MP's be made then a simple calculation of that figure divided by how much Sir Jon
is paid per hour be made. It's a simple request?”
Internal Review
--- PDF page 2 ---
2
The purpose of an Internal Review is to assess how your FOI request was handled in the
first instance and to determine whether the original decision given to you was correct. This is
an independent review: I was not involved in the original decision.
We received your request on 25 January 2019 and responded by email 21 February 2019.
This was within the statutory deadline in compliance with section 10(1) of the FOIA.
The response also set out HMRC’s review procedure and your right to complain to the
Information Commissioner, as required by section 17(7) of the FOIA.
Considerations
The Act gives applicants two rights in respect of information held by a public authority:
(1) a right to be told if the information is held (known as the duty to confirm or deny); and
(2) a right to have that information communicated subject to any exemption or exemptions
that might apply.
You should note that Section 8(1) of the FOIA explains that the Act gives applicants the right
of access to information which is available in recorded form, which includes information held
on computers, in emails and in printed or handwritten documents as well as images, video
and audio recordings. This does not include information which would have to be created.
In this instance, Sir Jon Thompson wrote to MPs as part of his day to day responsibilities
and the time he spent on this particular task wasn’t recorded. HMRC employees, including
Sir Jon, do not lobby MPs. The information you seek in your request for an internal review is
therefore not available and it is not for HMRC to provide an estimate.
Conclusion
I have looked carefully at the way the team dealt with your original request, their response
and the points you have made in your letter of 4 March 2019. Following my review, I am
satisfied that HMRC’s response of 21 February 2019 was correct and compliant with the
FOIA.
Outside the FOIA
You might be interested to know that the Cabinet Office publishes senior civil servants and
senior officials’ salaries; see link.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/senior-officials-high-earners-salaries
HMRC also publishes remuneration of senior officials in its Annual Report and Accounts,
page 123 in the 2017-18 report.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/atta
chment_data/file/726849/HMRC_Annual_Report_and_Accounts_2017-18__web_.pdf
Appeal process
If you are not content with the outcome of this internal review, you can complain to the
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). You can make a complaint to the ICO by post to:
The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire
SK9 5AF. Instructions about this process are available at the following link:
https://ico.org.uk/concerns/
Yours sincerely,
Freedom of Information Team
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ATTACHMENT: FOI2019_00229_final.pdf
TEXT_FILE: FOI2019_00229_final.pdf.txt
METHOD: pdf_native
OCR_USED: False
PAGES: 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- PDF page 1 ---
Information is available in large print, audio and Braille formats.
Text Relay service prefix number – 18001
Freedom of Information Team
S1715
6 Floor
Central Mail Unit
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE98 1ZZ
Mr Brian Millard
By email: request-547226-
87427996@whatdotheyknow.com
Email
foi.request@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
Web
www.gov.uk
Date: 21 February 2019
Our ref:
FOI2019/00229
Dear Mr Millard
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)
Thank you for your request, which was received on 25 January, for the following information:
“Please can you provide cost breakdown of how much public money was spent by Jon
Thompson on lobbying MP's who signed EDM1239.”
Following a review of our records, I have established that HMRC does not hold the
information you requested as HMRC do not lobby MPs.
Last year, Sir Jonathan Thompson wrote to all MPs who signed EDM 1239 to explain the
background to the charge on disguised remuneration loans. The letter was produced in-
house.
If you are not satisfied with this reply you may request a review within two months by
emailing foi.review@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk, or by writing to the address at the top right-hand side
of this letter.
If you are not content with the outcome of an internal review you can complain to the
Information Commissioner’s Office
Yours sincerely,
Freedom of Information Team