Panama Papers Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Panama Papers

Clive Efford Excerpts
Monday 11th April 2016

(8 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton Portrait The Prime Minister
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There is a role for making sure that people can pass on the family home exempt from inheritance tax. That is why we have set out steps during this Parliament to make sure that can happen, completing what was set out in our manifesto.

Clive Efford Portrait Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)
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The public would be more inclined to take the Prime Minister at his word when he says that he wants to clamp down on tax avoidance had his Government not appointed Edward Troup as executive chair of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in 2012. This is someone who said:

“Taxation is legalised extortion and is valid only to the extent of the law.”

Will the Prime Minister say what source of money he got to pay Mr Troup? Does someone with those views belong in HMRC?

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton Portrait The Prime Minister
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Edward Troup is a dedicated public servant who does a very good job for HMRC. As reports in the papers this morning pointed out, he had a commercial career at Simmons and Simmons, one of the most respected City legal practices there is. Frankly, it is a good thing if we can attract people from private practice into HMRC to make sure that we collect all the money we should.