Tax Avoidance (Public Servants) Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Tax Avoidance (Public Servants)

Conor Burns Excerpts
Thursday 2nd February 2012

(12 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. There is much interest in this subject, and if I am to accommodate it, brevity is required in both questions and answers.

Conor Burns Portrait Conor Burns (Bournemouth West) (Con)
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Does my right hon. Friend understand that those genuinely working on the front line in the public sector will find these revelations obscene? When his review is complete, will he be able to tell us when such practices first entered the public sector, and whether it was under this Government or the previous one?

Danny Alexander Portrait Danny Alexander
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I well understand why people would see it that way—frankly, I see it that way myself. It is interesting that already today we have heard one example, from my hon. Friend the Member for South Norfolk (Mr Bacon), who is a member of the PAC, of a similar arrangement made under the previous Government. Of course, the review will not look back on arrangements that have now been discontinued, but will look at those currently in existence in the public sector in order to ensure that everyone pays their fair share of tax. I know that my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth West (Conor Burns) will strongly agree with that.