Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: HM Treasury

Oral Answers to Questions

Alex Norris Excerpts
Tuesday 5th March 2019

(5 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Robert Jenrick Portrait Robert Jenrick
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Absolutely. We are very excited about the £100 million Ayrshire growth deal and will continue to support that part of Scotland.

Alex Norris Portrait Alex Norris (Nottingham North) (Lab/Co-op)
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16. What steps he has taken to ensure that HMRC has adequate (a) powers and (b) resources to investigate tax avoidance enablers.

Mel Stride Portrait The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mel Stride)
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The Government take a very serious view of those who enable or promote tax avoidance. We have taken a number of measures to clamp down on them, including penalties of up to £1 million.

Alex Norris Portrait Alex Norris
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In 2017, the Government introduced the Criminal Finances Act to great fanfare, claiming that they were clamping down on the facilitators of tax-dodging. Will the Minister please confirm how many prosecutions have been brought for the new offence of failing to prevent tax evasion?

Mel Stride Portrait Mel Stride
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We have taken action against enablers and promoters, and the cumulative amount of time in prison that has resulted from those particular actions is in excess of 100 years.