Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Gauke and Stephen Gilbert

Tuesday 14th May 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gauke]

My right hon. Friend makes an important point; indeed, we are doing that. We have signed an agreement with the US to implement FATCA as the new standard in tax transparency, and we are promoting that type of information around the world. We have reached agreements with the overseas territories and the Crown dependencies, while France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK have all agreed to exchange information based on the FATCA standard. That is very much the approach that we are taking in the G7, G8 and G20, and we have made remarkable progress so far.

[Stephen Gilbert]

Does the Minister recognise that, as well as capacity building in their domestic authorities, developing countries need better access to international tax information? Can that be part of the negotiations with the G8?

[Mr Gauke]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. It is important that we have better information that we can provide to developing countries. Whether we do that by exchanging information along the FATCA lines or by encouraging better global reporting to tax authorities by multinational companies, that information will prove very helpful for both developed and developing countries.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Gauke and Stephen Gilbert

Tuesday 11th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Gilbert (St Austell and Newquay) (LD)]

11. What steps he is taking to discourage tax avoidance by wealthy people.

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Mr David Gauke)]

In seeking a fair contribution from the wealthy, the Government’s first priority is to tackle those who avoid or evade tax. The autumn statement contained a number of new measures to ensure that, including repatriating £5 billion in unpaid tax from Switzerland and new investment in Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to enable it to expand its anti-avoidance activity, in particular the specialist unit that supervises the compliance of affluent individuals.

[Stephen Gilbert]

People in Cornwall expect the wealthiest to pay their fair share of tax, so I welcome the Government’s planned offshore tax evasion strategy, which is much needed to track down funds that have been squirreled away and undertaxed. Will it cover British overseas territories as well as Crown dependencies, and what is the Minister’s assessment of the potential revenue?

[Mr Gauke]

Yes, it would. My hon. Friend gives me an opportunity to highlight the progress we have made in particular with the Isle of Man in ensuring there is much greater exchange of information. The net is closing in on those who wish to evade their taxes. Whether in Switzerland, Liechtenstein or the Isle of Man, it is becoming ever harder for them to evade paying taxes.

Finance Bill

Debate between David Gauke and Stephen Gilbert

Tuesday 3rd July 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gauke]

The final details as to what exactly will or will not constitute marketing something as hot will be set out in the HMRC guidance. However, I take on board my hon. Friend’s perfectly reasonable point that something that is presented essentially as fresh, but cooling, is different from something that is clearly presented as hot at the point at which one purchases it.

[Stephen Gilbert (St Austell and Newquay) (LD)]

I am tempted to ask my hon. Friend whether he knows how many different chocolate eyes a gingerbread man must have to go from being zero-rated to standard-rated. The answer is on HMRC’s website.

On packaging, new schedule 1 uses the wording:

“whether or not the packaging was primarily designed for that purpose”.

There is some ambiguity as to whether a simple paper bag might be caught by that definition. Can the Minister assure us that people will be able to get their pies and pasties in a paper bag from the bakery without their being standard-rated?

[Mr Gauke]

The purpose of that wording relates to packaging that is specifically designed for the retention of heat. For example, hon. Members will all have experience of a paper bag with a foil interior that is used for such purposes. I do not think that a simple paper bag would fall into that category. In most people’s experience, pasties and suchlike are generally left on shelves rather than contained within bags while in the shop. I hope that that provides some clarification.

Changes to the Budget

Debate between David Gauke and Stephen Gilbert

Monday 11th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Gilbert (St Austell and Newquay) (LD)]

On behalf of the thousands of people who supply, make and sell the £180 million of Cornish pasties produced each year, and the millions of people throughout the country—including my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet and Rothwell (Alec Shelbrooke)—who enjoy eating them, may I say “Thank you” to the Minister? It is great that we finally have a Government who listen and do not plough on regardless.

[Mr Gauke]

I am grateful for the constructive way in which my hon. Friend and other Cornish Members have engaged in this process throughout.