Facebook director appointed to digital economy advisory group

Social network's Richard Allan and Brian McBride, former Amazon UK chief, to join government committee despite tax row

The government has appointed a Facebook director and the former head of Amazon UK to a new advisory committee on the digital economy, despite the ongoing row over the amounts such companies have paid in tax to the UK exchequer.

The appointments come days after it emerged that the Department for Work and Pensions plans to give a non-executive directorship to Amazon's boss in China, Doug Gurr.