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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate her Department has made of the extent of tax evasion and tax avoidance in the global south.

Mr Desmond Swayne

DFID has not made an estimate of the extent of tax evasion and avoidance in the global south due to a lack of reliable data.

The UK has been an international leader in efforts to tackle tax evasion and tax avoidance since the UK’s G8 Presidency in 2013. A key part of DFID’s work in this area is to ensure that developing countries can partake in and benefit from international initiatives to challenge tax avoidance and evasion.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate her Department has made of the amount of profits moved out of developing countries by UK-listed companies in each of the last five years.

Mr Desmond Swayne

The Department for International Development does not collect this data.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many UK-based consultancy firms receive funding from her Department.

Mr Desmond Swayne

Detail on all DFID supplier funding is available via our departmental website.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on making tax information of UK-listed companies available to developing countries.

Mr Desmond Swayne

DFID Ministers and officials have regular discussions with other Government Departments on a wide range of issues relating to international development, including tax.

The UK supports efforts to improve tax transparency. We initiated international work on country-by-country (CbC) reporting during our G8 Presidency in 2013, calling on the OECD to develop a framework for CbC reporting to tax authorities as part of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. This important initiative will enhance transparency between business and tax authorities, including those of developing countries.

The UK leads international efforts to help developing countries tackle tax evasion and avoidance. DFID funds the Global Forum and the World Bank to provide technical assistance to improve exchange of tax information in developing countries which will allow tax authorities to gain access to information such as country-by-country reports. We also support the OECD in helping developing countries tackle multinational practices such as transfer pricing and have provided HMRC tax auditors to Tax Inspectors Without Borders, which puts expert tax auditors in the field working on complex multinational audit cases.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the UK Anti-Corruption Summit being held in London in May 2016.

Mr Desmond Swayne

In addition to regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues in relation to the Summit, DFID is represented in the Inter-Ministerial Group on Anti-Corruption. This Group is tasked with overseeing the government’s work to tackle corruption domestically and internationally, and specifically at this time the planning for the Summit and implementation of its conclusions.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether funding for UK-based consultancy firms is included in the UK’s 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product overseas development assistance target.

Mr Desmond Swayne

Consultancy funding for UK-based firms is included in the UK’s 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product overseas development assistance target.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2016-04-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the introduction of measures for country-by-country reporting of profits for UK-listed companies.

Mr Desmond Swayne

DFID Ministers and officials have regular discussions with other Government Departments on a wide range of issues relating to international development, including tax.

The UK supports efforts to improve tax transparency. We initiated international work on country-by-country (CbC) reporting during our G8 Presidency in 2013, calling on the OECD to develop a framework for CbC reporting to tax authorities as part of the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. This important initiative will enhance transparency between business and tax authorities, including those of developing countries.

The UK leads international efforts to help developing countries tackle tax evasion and avoidance. DFID funds the Global Forum and the World Bank to provide technical assistance to improve exchange of tax information in developing countries which will allow tax authorities to gain access to information such as country-by-country reports. We also support the OECD in helping developing countries tackle multinational practices such as transfer pricing and have provided HMRC tax auditors to Tax Inspectors Without Borders, which puts expert tax auditors in the field working on complex multinational audit cases.