Taxation: Tax Law Enforcement

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean Excerpts

Wednesday 30th October 2013 Lords Chamber

[Lord Newby]

I think the decision taken by Ministers to give an additional £1 billion for compliance activities was pretty clear. Many of the problems that we see with multinationals paying less tax than would appear appropriate are international by nature. That is why we have put a lot of resources into the OECD. We put another £400,000 into the work that it is doing following the G20 summit earlier this year. There is a determination across the international community, to a degree that has not been apparent before, that companies cannot get away with avoiding taxes. This must be dealt with internationally, and that is what we are promoting effectively.

[Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (Con)]

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that what the Treasury should be about is maximising the revenue that is taken in tax, and that the best way to achieve that is by having a lower, flatter, fairer tax system?

[Lord Newby]

My Lords, one of the things I learnt as a junior Customs and Excise official—