HMRC and Google (Settlement) Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

HMRC and Google (Settlement)

Nick Smith Excerpts
Monday 25th January 2016

(8 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Gauke Portrait Mr Gauke
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On the latter question, it may be the case that astronomers have located the ninth planet, but I am not sure that they have found any evidence of the Labour party doing very much on tax avoidance in government.

Nick Smith Portrait Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)
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May I gently chide the Minister, particularly given his last remark? Will he acknowledge the work of the cross-party Public Accounts Committee in the last Parliament? Its campaign on fair taxes by multinational companies was chaired by a Labour MP, the right hon. Member for Barking (Dame Margaret Hodge)?

David Gauke Portrait Mr Gauke
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There has been a shift in public opinion in recent years, and the pressure on companies to pay the tax that is due under the law is greater than ever before. I welcome that, and I welcome that change in public opinion, but it is the measures taken by this Government that mean that we are getting additional sums from large companies, as has been demonstrated in the past couple of days.