Taxation: Avoidance Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Taxation: Avoidance

Baroness Kramer Excerpts
Tuesday 11th December 2012

(11 years, 11 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Naseby Portrait Lord Naseby
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My Lords—

Baroness Kramer Portrait Baroness Kramer
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My Lords—

None Portrait Noble Lords
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Order!

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Lord Newby Portrait Lord Newby
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We need a greater degree of international agreement and that is why, along with France and Germany, we have just contributed an extra €150,000 to the OECD’s work to change the basis of accounting. We can do only a certain amount ourselves. It would be a counsel of despair to say that we cannot change the rules; the rules exist and can be changed.

Baroness Kramer Portrait Baroness Kramer
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My Lords, I am glad that the Government are ending Labour’s indulgence to business on tax issues but, like many others here, I would like to play a part with my purchasing power. Is there a way we can find out who the good guys are so that we do not have to use the likes of Amazon, Google and Starbucks and can transfer our business elsewhere?

Lord Newby Portrait Lord Newby
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The Government have yet to establish a good guys’ website but it is an extremely good idea. In the mean time, I suspect that the noble Baroness will just have to read the newspapers.