GORDON BIRTWISTLE MP: Fighting for support for students after EMA

Last week was the first back in Westminster after the recess. I’ve been really busy over the break with casework and visits and the week back in London was equally packed.

On Monday I was pleased to hear more details of Business Secretary Vince Cable’s plans to restrict the export of sodium thiopental, a drug used in lethal injections to execute people in the US. Banning the export of this drug for use in executions abroad is the morally right thing to do and I welcome the move.

On Tuesday I met with the Chartered Institute of Taxation and discussed the Government’s robust attitude to clamping down on tax evasion. I very much welcome the Government’s work to clamp down on tax evasion – it is more important than ever that the wealthiest people in society pay their share. The Government is investing an extra £900m. to do this, providing Revenue and Customs with additional resources to create a dedicated team of investigators to bear down on offshore tax havens and online tax evasion. It is estimated that closing loopholes and ensuring wealthy people pay the full top rate of tax would generate an estimated £7bn a year by 2015.