Worboys Case and the Parole Board

Debate between Helen Jones and David Gauke

Wednesday 28th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gauke]

I will, as always, look very closely at the excellent recommendations of the Justice Committee.

[Helen Jones (Warrington North) (Lab)]

The Court said that the wider context of Worboys’ offending was not taken into account by the Parole Board. When the Secretary of State draws up his new rules, will he ensure that they take into account the perpetrator’s actions after he has been in prison? In Worboys’ case, he continued to appeal against his sentence, refused to admit liability in a civil case and finally admitted his guilt only nine months before his first Parole Board hearing, thus ensuring that he piled further agony on to his victims. Although Parole Board decisions should not be decided on the basis of campaigns, does he accept that it is the duty of the House to ensure that justice is seen to be done? It certainly was not done in this case.

[Mr Gauke]

I accept that hon. Members are perfectly entitled—indeed, it is our responsibility—to make many of these points. When it comes to the assessment of risk—is someone safe to be released?—that is the job of the Parole Board in these circumstances. Somebody’s behaviour after they are imprisoned is clearly relevant, and such a consideration should be taken into account.

HMRC and Google (Settlement)

Debate between Helen Jones and David Gauke

Monday 25th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Helen Jones (Warrington North) (Lab)]

Does the Minister not accept that this deal with Google, which most of us believe to involve a corporation tax rate of less than 3%, simply encourages tax avoidance by companies? If the issue was the amount of economic activity and assets held by Google in the UK, why are the Government not prepared to test that in the courts if necessary, and call its bluff?

[Mr Gauke]

HMRC has been conducting an inquiry in this specific case for a number of years, and has reached the conclusion that it is satisfied with the position that Google has reached. As for the additional payment, it is based on the facts that HMRC has seen, and on the detailed inquiry and exhaustive work that it has undertaken over many years, not numbers drawn up on the back of an envelope.

Changes to the Budget

Debate between Helen Jones and David Gauke

Monday 11th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gauke]

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

[Helen Jones (Warrington North) (Lab)]

Will the Minister explain why he chose to listen to representations on pasties, caravans and charities, but not to representations on the granny tax? Was it because pensioners do not have loud enough voices, or because he does not care about them?

[Mr Gauke]

No. It was because we found the arguments on the three items that we are discussing today persuasive that we decided to make the concessions we have made.

Living Standards

Debate between Helen Jones and David Gauke

Monday 5th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gauke]

I shall speak in greater detail about the reforms to the working tax credit in a moment, but there is a question that we all have to answer. As the hon. Lady knows, there is a threshold for claiming the credit. For lone parents, it is 16 hours a week. We think it entirely reasonable that the joint target for couples should be not 16 hours a week but 24; we believe that that incentive will be helpful. The principle of a threshold has been in the tax credit system since it was put in place.

[Helen Jones]

rose—

--- Later in debate ---

[Helen Jones]

Given that the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development says that one in five firms are cutting hours, rather than increasing them or creating new jobs, how are people who work 16 hours a week going to find the extra hours to qualify for working tax credit? Where are those hours going to come from?

[Mr Gauke]

The figures for the last quarter for which figures are available show that there were more than 1.1 million jobs—[Interruption.] That is not a net number; it is the gross number of people moving into employment. We are not going to do anything for employment in this country if we undermine credibility, or if we see our interest rates driven up because we lack credibility because our policies do not hang together. That is what Labour is advocating, but it would be bad news for private and public sector employees.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Helen Jones and David Gauke

Tuesday 6th September 2011 Commons Chamber

[Helen Jones (Warrington North) (Lab)]

3. What recent assessment he has made of the effect on inflation of the increase in the basic rate of VAT.

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

The Office for Budget Responsibility is responsible for producing independent economic and fiscal forecasts. The OBR published a full analysis of developments and the prospects for inflation in its forecast at Budget, and that can be found at its website. The Office for National Statistics estimates that the impact of the VAT rise on consumer prices index inflation was 0.76 percentage points.

[Helen Jones]

The Minister has failed signally to answer the question. Will he tell the House why only three European Union countries—Estonia, Lithuania and Romania—have inflation higher than the rate in this country? Is it not true that the failed economic polices pursued by the Treasury and the decision to raise VAT have more than doubled the rate of inflation compared with the Government’s target? When is he going to accept responsibility for that and do something about it?

[Mr Gauke]

I am afraid that the hon. Lady might not have listened to my earlier answer. The fact is that the primary cause of the increase in inflation has been global commodity and energy prices. It is also worth pointing out that our currency depreciated in value quite significantly a couple of years or so ago. The VAT increase was necessary in order to reduce the deficit—a policy that was recognised by the previous Chancellor of the Exchequer.