All 2 Debates between Kemi Badenoch and Mel Stride

Wed 21st Feb 2018
Finance (No. 2) Bill
Commons Chamber

3rd reading: House of Commons & Report stage: House of Commons

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Mel Stride
Tuesday 6th November 2018

(6 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Kemi Badenoch Portrait Mrs Kemi Badenoch (Saffron Walden) (Con)
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18. What steps he is taking to tackle tax avoidance and evasion.

Mel Stride Portrait The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mel Stride)
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The Government have brought in over 100 measures to clamp down on avoidance, evasion and non-compliance since 2010, protecting and yielding over £200 billion in revenue.

Kemi Badenoch Portrait Mrs Badenoch
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Some 19% of all businesses declared deliberate tax defaulters by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs this year were from the restaurant and takeaway business. Does the Minister agree that companies in this industry that do pay their taxes, such as the Chesterford Group in my constituency, do not have a level playing field?

Mel Stride Portrait Mel Stride
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I cannot comment on a specific taxpayer, but I can say that HMRC does publish quarterly the names of those who deliberately default on taxation, as a method of bringing them forward to settle with HMRC. We have brought in a further 21 measures in the Budget to raise a further £2 billion by 2023-24 by clamping down on avoidance and evasion.

Finance (No. 2) Bill

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and Mel Stride
3rd reading: House of Commons & Report stage: House of Commons
Wednesday 21st February 2018

(6 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Finance Act 2018 View all Finance Act 2018 Debates Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts Amendment Paper: Consideration of Bill Amendments as at 21 February 2018 - (21 Feb 2018)
Kemi Badenoch Portrait Mrs Badenoch
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Does the Minister agree that it would be so impractical to carry out such impact assessments that it would slow down Government business? Perhaps one of the reasons why the Opposition have tabled the new clause is to make it difficult for us to get our policies and the Finance Bill through.

Mel Stride Portrait Mel Stride
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I thank my hon. Friend very much for that intervention, because she touches on the important point that there is an element of proportionality. As I will come on to argue, one of the difficulties with accepting the new clause is that a lot of the information is not available. That is not an argument for not going out and finding the information, but some of it would be extremely difficult to generate. I would not go as far as my hon. Friend in suggesting that this is a Machiavellian plan to gum up the works of Government, but I am sure some Opposition Members might be pleased to see that happen. I take the new clause in the spirit of the wording in front of me.