TUC REPORT ON THE UK TAX GAP

Early day motion 1251, tabled 20 March 2008 by Kelvin Hopkins (Labour). Signed by 51 members.

That this House welcomes the TUC Report, The Missing Billions - The UK Tax Gap; congratulates its author Richard Murphy, Director of Tax Research LLP, on a brilliant analysis of how tax losses to the Treasury and thus to the public purse amount to £33 billion each year; notes that this figure comprises £13 billion from tax avoidance by individuals, £12 billion from tax avoidance by the 700 largest corporations and £8 billion from tax planning by individuals earning more than £100,000 per annum; believes that this vast lost revenue should be collected in future years and used, among other things, to raise the state pension, increase child benefit and pay for free long-term care; and strongly supports the report's conclusion that action can be taken to address the problem and that what is required to achieve this is the necessary political will.

Signatures by party: Labour 41, Liberal Democrat 6, Independent 2, Plaid Cymru 1, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1.