Shabana Mahmood MP, Labour’s Shadow Treasury Minister, responding to comments by France’s finance minister Michel Sapin, said:

“David Gauke needs to urgently explain his claims in the House of Commons which now seem to have been contradicted by the French Finance Minister.

“The unanswered questions for Ministers are mounting by the day. Why has there only been one prosecution out of 1,100 names? Did David Cameron and George Osborne discuss tax evasion at HSBC with Lord Green? Why did they appoint Lord Green as a Tory Minister months after the government received these files? And why did George Osborne and the Treasury sign a deal with the Swiss in 2012 which prevents the UK from actively obtaining similar information in the future?

“It is time we finally had answers from David Cameron and George Osborne on these questions. We also need a full and frank statement from Lord Green about what he knew about these activities which were happening while he was in charge of HSBC.”

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