Tax Avoidance (HSBC) Debate

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Department: HM Treasury
Monday 9th February 2015

(9 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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David Gauke Portrait Mr Gauke
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Tax evasion is a criminal offence, and action will be taken in that regard. I should add that we also take firm action against aggressive, contrived, artificial avoidance. Having an ISA does not fall into that category, which is consistent with what Parliament intended, but when people try to abuse the rules, we will take action.

Andrew Gwynne Portrait Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab)
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The Minister cannot have it both ways. He has asserted several times today that Lord Green had no knowledge of, or involvement in, these issues as chairman of HSBC. That suggests to me that the Government asked those questions of Lord Green. In the interests of transparency, will the Minister now commit himself to placing in the Library all the information surrounding the questions that I assume have been asked, given his certainty in answering, so that we can be the judge?

David Gauke Portrait Mr Gauke
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I repeat that, as far as I am aware, no one has come forward with any evidence suggesting that Lord Green was involved in the activities of the Swiss subsidiary about which we have been talking today.