I'm no longer involved in it and will in future conduct my financial affairs much more responsibly. Apologies to everyone. Jimmy Carr. More than 1,000 people, including Mr Carr, are thought to be using the Jersey-based K2 scheme, which is said to be sheltering 168m a year from the Treasury. Under the K2 scheme, an individual resigns from their company and any salary they subsequently receive is paid to an offshore trust. Downing Street welcomed Mr Carr's apology. A spokeswoman said: "HMRC are working hard to investigate the sort of scheme that Jimmy Carr had been reported to be involved in to ensure that they are not aggressively avoiding tax, and, if they are, they are closed down." She defended Mr Cameron's decision to speak out about an individual's tax affairs - in contravention of normal government practice. "The prime minister was expressing what probably lots of people felt after reading the coverage," she said. Business Secretary Vince Cable also backed the prime minister, telling BBC Radio Sheffield he was not prepared to go "through a hit-list of our celebrities" but adding: "We just want people to pay their dues." The Lib Dem minister said he did not use tax avoidance schemes himself and that, as far he knows, no members of the cabinet did either, saying: "We observe the law... but also try to set an example." 'Unfair' According to The Times newspaper, which first published details of Mr Carr's tax arrangements, the K2 scheme enables members to pay