Oral Answers to Questions

Anne Milton Excerpts

Tuesday 1st October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Dr Matthew Offord (Hendon) (Con)]

14. If he will make it his policy to suspend the 2019 loan charge for the duration of the review of that charge; and if he will make a statement.

[Anne Milton (Guildford) (Ind)]

17. If he will suspend 2019 loan charge repayments for the duration of the review of that charge.

[Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP)]

18. If he will make it his policy to suspend the 2019 loan charge for the duration of his Department’s review of that charge.

--- Later in debate ---

[Jesse Norman]

The review is designed to assess whether the Government’s policy is appropriate, and it would be wrong to change it until the review has had chance to make a decision on it. The Treasury and the House have a great interest in supporting the provision of public services, which the recovery of tax avoided in this way, in many ways egregiously, is designed to fund.

[Anne Milton]

I honestly do not think that the Minister is paying attention. These comments are coming from Members behind him, not opposite him. [Hon. Members: “From all sides.”] These people followed professional advice and declared their arrangements to HMRC, which did nothing. Yet it is now going back and taxing them retrospectively, all the way back to 1999 in some circumstances. The Minister cannot stand at the Dispatch Box and just ignore what he is hearing from the Benches behind him.

[Jesse Norman]

Nothing could be further from the truth. We are carefully attending to concerns that have been expressed. That is why I announced changes in July and have written on two occasions to colleagues to inform them of changes and developments. That is why we have instituted this independent loan charge review, the purpose of which is precisely to scrutinise the extent to which Government policy is appropriate.