Ministerial Appointments: Vetting and Managing Conflicts of Interest Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Ministerial Appointments: Vetting and Managing Conflicts of Interest

Peter Dowd Excerpts
Monday 23rd January 2023

(1 year, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jeremy Quin Portrait Jeremy Quin
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What is absolutely the case is that a summary of the findings of the independent adviser and the outcome of that work will be shared with the House.

Peter Dowd Portrait Peter Dowd (Bootle) (Lab)
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A person is 23 times more likely to be prosecuted for benefit irregularities than to be prosecuted for tax irregularities, but tax irregularities lose the economy nine times more. Have the Government any plans to redress that imbalance?

Jeremy Quin Portrait Jeremy Quin
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As I know from my work in the Cabinet Office, there is a huge focus across Government on ensuring that we go after tax evasion in all its forms. It is incredibly important that we do so and that we cut waste across Government, particularly when it results from fraudulent behaviour. That is what we do every day, and HMRC is responsible for following it up and making certain that people pay the tax that is owed.