SOUTH Swindon MP Robert Buckland has denied he has tried to avoid paying tax after a Sunday newspaper reported a scheme he invested in is under investigation by HM Revenue and Customs.

The Sunday Times says the Solicitor General has been a member of a film partnership scheme being investigated for tax avoidance.

Mr Buckland is said to have been a member of the Invicta Film Partnership No25 for ten years, along with three other schemes, but he denies they are for tax avoidance. The partnership is a sale and leaseback scheme where the rights are bought to a film and then leased back to its producers.

In a statement Mr Buckland said: “I have not attempted to avoid tax and my investments are a matter of public record. Before making them I asked an independent, accredited financial adviser to look into the companies, who found them to be completely beyond reproach.HMRC look into many different types of investments, but I have been assured that there is no active investigation into my tax affairs. I pay my taxes as required each year and I have been fully open with government officials and declared my interests in line with usual reporting processes.”

The scheme was one of a number set up by Invicta Capital, some of which HMRC are challenging. The investigation is into the validity of the type of business and comes after a 2011 court ruling said two other film partnerships were being used primarily as tax avoidance.

However the decision is being appealed which is why many are still in operation.

The coalition has previously said it is looking to stamp out legal tax avoidance schemes, which have caught out a number of high-profile celebrities.

Letters were sent out to all members of the scheme last May. Labour have said his involvement brings Mr Buckland’s judgement into question. Labour’s parliamentary candidate for South Swindon, Anne Snelgrove, said: “For a strong healthy economy we need to see taxes being paid not avoided. Labour announced new plans this week to crack down on tax avoidance, and I am very surprised that the local Conservative MP believes this type of scheme is acceptable to the people of Swindon. Very few people have any spare cash and most families are still coping with the cost of living crisis caused by Conservative VAT increase to 20 per cent, wage freezes and cuts to public services.

“Mr Buckland’s judgement has been once again shown to be questionable.”